Mirabe and Grady were chatting away when they turned to see Robert and a few friends lookingpletely baffled. "Friends? Professor?"


    The four snapped back to reality, their faces growing more and more bewildered, especially ze and the others.


    Owning a car worth a fortune, and calling it a modest lifestyle?


    They felt like their understanding of the world was being flipped upside down.


    "Hey, let''s hop in the car," Robert nudged ze''s leg, signaling him to stop staring.


    ze looked like he wanted to say something but ended up climbing into the car quietly.


    He figured he''d need to ask the professorter if he''d misunderstood what being broke meant. After all, it was the professor who''d made them think Mira was struggling to make ends meet.


    Mirabe raised an eyebrow, ncing back at the car, and she pretty much guessed why they were so bbergasted. She hadn''t expected Grady to go all out like this either.


    Once Mirabe and the others got in the car, she checked the time on her watch. Weird, wasn''t that guy supposed to be here already? Where on earth was he?


    Grady walked around from the back of the car and noticed Miss Mira still standing there, her eyes fixed on the airport entrance. He paused, walked over to her, and casually asked, "Why aren''t you getting in?"


    Mirabe hadn''t taken her eyes off the entrance, "A friend said they''d be here to pick me up, but I haven''t seen them."


    Grady gave a warm smile, "Why don''t you give them a call? Maybe invite them for dinner with us."


    "Alright," Mirabe nodded, pulling out her phone to make a call.


    "Okay."


    Grady stood beside her, hands behind his back, fingers slowly twirling the prayer beads on his wrist.


    After a moment, Mirabe lowered her phone, her eyes showing a hint of confusion. It wasn''t connecting.


    "What''s up?" Grady asked with genuine concern.


    Mirabe tried dialing again but had no luck, "Can''t get through."


    "Maybe it''s just a signal issue, or your friend got caught up with something How about this? You go on ahead and have dinner with.


    professor and friends. I''ll have our


    someone wait here. It''s a safe area, so it should be all good," Grady suggested.


    Mirabe nced at her friends sitting awkwardly in the car, and considering James''s background, she wasn''t too worried about him. She nodded, "Alright, thanks a lot, Grady."


    Grady said it was no trouble at all.


    Before long, the car eased away from the airport.


    ***


    Meanwhile, over at the airport café, James checked his watch; it was past 6:30. His phone, resting next to him, had been showing no signal since he got there.


    Just then, the aide who''d been


    keeping an eye on him returned after


    a phone call, "James, you can head


    out now. Our boss is tied up and can''t make it. He said he''ll catch up with you for coffee another time."


    James lightly tapped his finger on the table. He''d been sitting there for nearly an hour, hisposed face showing no sign of irritation, as he took another sip of his coffee.


    After a while, he spoke calmly, "No rush, I''ve got nothing else on. I can wait."


    Grady''s aide felt a bit uneasy, "Our boss has already left."


    "No worries, your boss will probablye back," James said with a rxed tone.


    The aide suddenly had a feeling that


    getting James to leave might be moreplicated than expected. After trying to persuade him a more times and seeing James still sitting there unfazed, the aide decided to step outside to make a call and exin the situation.