Santos didn''t have a reason to turn him down. His eyes twinkled a bit as he casually said, while Joen was reaching for his phone, "I''ll get my assistant to send some tech folks over to the universityter."


    Joen felt a weight lift off his shoulders as he unlocked his phone and heard Santos'' offer. "Great, thanks," he replied. He had been worried that Santos might refuse, but it turned out they both had something to gain, so everything bnced out nicely.


    Joen quickly dialed the professor at the university, asked a few questions, and then waited for the response. It took a while, but he finally got the info he needed.


    "They said there''s a flight leaving Merrywoods at 3 PM tomorrow," Joen informed Santos, rying the professor''s message.


    "Three in the afternoon?" Santos squinted slightly. If Cian managed to get back home, capturing her would be a lot tougher. They had to make a move before she left Merrywoods.


    Given her cautious nature and her ties to the Davis family, figuring out how to catch her would need some careful strategizing.


    With these thoughts swirling in his mind, Santos decided it was time to go. He stood up, telling Joen, "Dr. Joen, I''ve got a few things to wrap up, so I should get going."


    Joen stood too, nodding knowingly, "Alright, let''s grab dinner sometime soon."


    "Sure thing." Santos grabbed his coat and limped out of the room.


    Joen watched him leave, a bit curious about his limp, but he shrugged it off and called his assistant instead.


    **Meanwhile, at the Davis household...**


    After lunch, a servant showed Mirabe to a room upstairs. The ce was huge, and it had everything she could need. The walk-in closet was packed with the season''s newest outfits, all untouched and ready for her.


    Mirabe raised an eyebrow in surprise, and then her phone buzzed. Seeing her about to take the call, the servant quietly stepped out, shutting the door behind her.


    The call was from James. "Did you call because you''re feeling the heat?" Mirabe teased as she lounged on the balcony, gazing out at the lush garden with a smug smile.


    James, still at the hotel, let out a small sigh, "I actually like dealing with high- pressure situations."


    Mirabe chuckled, swinging her leg, "Always so sure of yourself, aren''t you, big brother?"


    "Big brother?" James'' voice took on a teasing edge.


    Mirabe cleared her throat, getting back to the point, "Anyway, I''m noting back to the hotel today. I''ll be hanging out with Chester for a few days."


    James wasn''t surprised, "I kind of expected that."


    "Why don''t you head back home then?" Mirabe suggested. They had initially nned to fly back together, but with her staying put, ns had to change.


    "No big deal, I''ll just cancel my ticket." James wasn''tfortable leaving Mirabe on her own, even with the Davis family nearby. He preferred to keep an eye on his girlfriend himself.


    Especially since Merrywoods was unlike home, and having a girlfriend with a knack for unpredictability meant being extra careful. The


    recent incident at the university only added to his hesitations.


    Mirabe blinked, "You know, clingy boyfriends lose their edge sometimes."


    James gave a dryugh, "Not being clingy doesn''t do much for my edge either, right?"


    Mirabe was momentarily at a loss for words.


    He''d flipped the script and now he was the one doing the teasing!