After firing off the screenshot, Mirabe shot over another message, asking them to rustle up those ingredients. She figured they were caught up in something since there was radio silence for a while. Unbothered, she slipped her phone back into her bag.


    ...


    Halfway through the trip, Adler decided to hop out of the car, not wanting to put James out by driving him all the way home. Initially, he intended to head straight back to his ce, but on a whim, he turned and made his way to the research institute instead.


    Swanson, who was still fretting over how to get Adler out of his predicament, was taken aback to hear he was already back.


    "How did you manage to get out?" Swanson asked, calling him into the office with a puzzled look.


    Adler paused, choosing to keep James out of it, and replied, "A friend pulled some strings and vouched for me, so they let me go."


    "A friend?" Swanson mused, immediately recalling the mysterious person who had been quietly pulling the strings behind the scenes. "Is it that Emmitt of yours?"


    Adler coughed and nodded.


    "Well, your Emmitt must be someone with quite the connections," Swanson said, surprised. He had asked Adler before, but Adler had always been tight-lipped. It was only through this recent incident that Swanson had indirectly gotten a hint of who might be involved. But he had never actually met the person.


    Capable and well-connected... Swanson pondered for a moment before continuing, "By the way, if it''s possible, could you invite Emmitt for a meal? He agreed to help us analyze the molecr structure of the virus strain, and we should thank him."


    Adler was taken aback, "You think he''d go for that?"


    "Why else would I cover for someone I don''t even know at the medical school?" Swanson gave him a knowing look.


    Adler was quiet for a bit, realizing the big boss had never brought up this matter. After a moment, he said, "I''ll have to ask, but don''t get your hopes up, Director. I doubt she''d be keen oning out."


    The Director might call it a dinner invitation, but it was clear he was hoping to recruit her. Though Adler hadn''t spent much time with Mirabe, he had a good sense of her personality.


    “Alright, no pressure," Swanson smiled, dropping the subject, but added, "What were you doing looking into radioactive materials?"


    Adler scratched his nose, his gaze drifting, but he maintained a serious tone, "I swear I didn''t do that."


    Swanson chuckled, not bothering to call him out, "Alright, you can head back."


    Adler, sensing his chance, quickly made his exit.


    **


    Meanwhile, James had just pulled


    into the residential area, nced over, and saw Mirabe had dozed off again, her eyes shut tight, clearly in a deep sleep. After a bit of


    thought, he decided to head back to his own ce.


    When he parked, she was still out cold.


    James frowned slightly, reaching out to touch her forehead, cheeks, and hands. Her temperature was from when she was unconscious, but still cooler than normal. Since waking, she had been in this low-energy state, her face seemingly even more delicate.


    He gently brushed a stray strand of hair from her cheek, sighed softly, and


    watched her for a few minutes before stepping out of the car.


    Opening the passenger door, he carefully lifted her out. As he did, a jade pendant slipped from her neck.


    James nced down, tucked the pendant back in, and headed towards the entrance.


    As he stepped inside, he noticed a pair of women''s shoes at the door, pausing briefly before slipping into his own shoes and heading further in.