<b>Chapter </b>24


    Cliff was a natural at socializing.


    Throughout the dinner, Elissa barely had to say a word; her only job was to enjoy the meal. Whenever Cliff noticed a dish she liked, he’d quietly serve her a portion–always paying


    attention.


    Take the stuffed vegetables, for instance.


    Frank never touched anything made from soy, so that dish never appeared on the Atwater family table. But Elissa enjoyed it.


    She nced at Cliff, her eyes curving in a silent smile. She didn’t say a word, but Cliff read her gratitude all the same. He gave her hair a gentle ruffle. “Eat while it’s hot,” he said. “Father Benedict specifically asked me to take good care of you.”


    At that moment, the door of the private dining room across the hall swung open.


    The first to step out was a man in histe forties, nked by several sharply dressed associates–he radiated the air of a sessful executive, the kind you’d expect to see at the helm of a Fortune 500pany.


    He moved aside with a broad, beaming smile, his German rolling off his tongue. “Mr. Murphy, it’s settled then. I’ll deliver the contract to your hotel personally tomorrow.”


    A younger man responded with a curt nod, his manner cool and reserved. Dressed in a custom<i>–</i>tailored ck shirt and cks, jacket draped carelessly over his arm, he exuded an effortless authority. His chiseled features carried the unmistakable mark of someone used to being in charge.


    His assistant leaned in at just the right moment. “Sir, the CEO of ApexBio Labs is waiting


    for us at the hotel.”


    The older executive caught on immediately. “Allow me to show you out,” he offered.


    Just then, on Elissa’s side, a waiter pushed open the door to their room to serve the next course. The young man passing by cast an absentminded nce inside.


    He saw a girl in a dusky rose sweater and jeans that hugged her slender figure, smiling up at the man by her side as he yfully tapped her head. She didn’t mind in the least–her whole demeanor was sweet and docile.


    The assistant noticed the man’s pause and followed his gaze, eyes lighting up. “Sir, isn’t that Miss Elissa? What’s she doing here in Germany?”


    Then, looking at Cliff in confusion, the assistant added, “And who’s that guy? Has Miss Elissa already divorced Frank and found someone new?”


    13:32


    The waiter exited, closing the door behind him and cutting off their view.


    The man shot his assistant a sidelong look and loosened his tie with elegant, impatient fingers. “Am I supposed to be psychic now?”


    Elissa could never sleep well in a strange bed–jetg was never an issue. She woke up on her own, well before the rm.


    The ribbon–cutting ceremony was scheduled for 9:58 a.m.–clearly a time chosen for good luck. No matter where Veridian folks went, they never left their superstitions behind.


    The new research institute was in a prime location.


    The event had drawn top names from the field of traditional medicine. If not for representing her mentor, Elissa, with her cautious nature, would never have been invited to such an exclusive gathering.


    Young women at the top of this industry were a rarity. As Elissa and Cliff entered, they turned more than a few heads. Sessful, youthful, and strikingly beautiful–who


    wouldn’t look twice?


    When people learned she was Aaron’s student, they naturally came over to chat, eager to discuss the herbal remedies she and Cliff had developed.


    One pharmaceuticalpany even tried to buy the form outright for a handsome sum.


    Cliff caught Elissa’s eye, and with a polite smile, declined. “Sorry, but our main goal has always been helping patients. Many of our clinic’s regrs still need this medicine.”


    It wasn’t the first time this had happened.


    The offers were always tempting, and Elissa had wavered before. But once a bigpany took over, the price would be out of their hands.


    Many of their patients had already exhausted every option they could afford. Elissa refused to be the final straw that broke them.


    After a while, she stepped out to use the restroom. As she returned, the head of the pharmaceuticalpany stopped her and handed over his card, speaking warmly. “If you ever want a change of scene, you’re wee to join us anytime.”


    He’d done his homework before the event.


    The woman before him wasn’t just anyone. She had a rare gift for traditional medicine, and Cliff’s Center owed much of its reputation not just to Aaron, but to her as well.


    Elissa gave her usual polite smile. “Thank you, I’ll think about it.”


    13:32


    She excused herself and turned to go, but the smile on her lips froze instantly.


    Her mind went nk.


    For three years, she’d wondered if she’d ever run into Rowan again.


    At Murphy Manor, at Frank’s parties, even in some high–rise in Vista peak City–she’d imagined it so many times.


    But he’d never appeared. Not once.


    And now, here he was, materializing out of nowhere, in thest ce she ever expected, at


    this exact moment.