Chapter 567


    The private dining room was winding down to an awkward silence, with only Owen and Johnny left


    lingering at the tail end of the evening.


    Owen didn’t prolong the inevitable. He rose to his feet, gave a nod to Niki and Asher, and muttered


    about it being time to head out. With a gesture for Johnny to follow, they were soon out the door.


    Once the outsiders had cleared out, Niki finally caved to his weariness, copsing into a chair with


    his face a shade of ashen defeat. Asher reached out, intending to lend support to his father, but his


    hand was brushed aside. “Dad…


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    Niki, seated and seemingly spent, suddenly let out a soft chuckle. “Oh, Asher, you really shouldn’t


    have done that today.”


    Asher pinched the bridge of his nose, but before he could utter a word, his father continued. “You


    probably don’t know… that whiz kid Mirabe is an S–ss pharmacist.”


    Niki’s voice was faint, but itnded heavily in Asher’s chest. His face mirrored sheer disbelief. “That


    can’t be… An S–ss pharmacist at eighteen?”


    Niki’s gaze fell to the carpet, his lips curling into a wry smile. “Nothing is impossible, son. Just


    because you haven’t seen it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.”


    He had tried to bring up Mirabe, the alchemic prodigy, several times before. Still, Asher’s prejudice


    against her youth had made him impatient and dismissive to the point that Niki eventually dropped


    the subject.


    Now, those conversations seemed devoid of any significance.


    With effort, Niki pushed himself up from the chair, not sparing another nce at Asher. His stooped


    silhouette edged with a certain destion, slowly exited the private room.


    Asher, watching his father’s retreating figure, felt a sudden dryness in his throat. An S–ss


    pharmacist… even the President of the Pharmacists‘ Guild had only reached that rank in the past


    couple of years, right? The thought of an eighteen–year–old holding such a title was beyond his wildest


    dreams.


    Asher clenched his fists, struggling to articte his feelings. His father had no reason to lie about such


    a matter, especially now. Regret began to seep into Asher’s heart as he considered his earlier


    antagonism.


    Meanwhile, Mirabe and James stepped out of the private room.


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    “I need to hit the restroom. Why don’t you head downstairs and wait for me?” Mirabe suggested to


    James, feeling an urgent call of


    nature.


    “Sure thing,” James replied with a casual nod.


    Mirabe nced around and promptly followed the restroom signage while James descended the


    stairs leisurely.


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    Reaching the lobby, James strolled over to the lounge area and fished out his phone from his coat to


    message Wyatt. His striking features and powerful presence made him stand out effortlessly, drawing


    the eyes of those around him.


    Among those in the lounge was Mandy, whose attention was naturally drawn to James. The first time


    she nced his way, she sensed a familiarity, and it didn’t take long for her to recall where she had


    seen him. Just six months prior, in her hometown of Elm Creek, this young man had been living next


    door to her mother. Their paths had crossed briefly due to an adoption matter. His distinctive face was


    not easily forgotten.


    Mandy hadn’t expected to encounter a hometown face in such a ce. Observing him more closely,


    she noted an innate elegance and nobility in his demeanor that surpassed many high–born gents she’d


    encountered. He didn’t strike her as someone from a rural background.


    With a slight twist of her mouth, Mandy soon diverted her gaze. No matter how refined or seemingly


    aristocratic, he was still from a small town, which wasn’t particrly remarkable to her.