A gentle, elderly voice greeted her. “Elliana, this is Davin Haynes. I was hoping we could sit down for a chat.”

Davin Haynes? That name sent a jolt through her. Davin Haynes, the founder of the Enlightenment Institute, was the one who had handled the procedure when her mother donated the Medical Codex. Now he was reaching out to her.

Since Elliana took the call right there in the room, Cole, Arthur, and Milton overheard every word of the conversation. The moment the three men heard the name “Davin,” they instantly became alert, their relaxed demeanor shifting to something much more serious and focused.

What struck the trio as unusual was the warm, almost affectionate tone Davin used to address Elliana. Logically speaking, Elliana and Davin were just strangers to each other. Something seemed off.

“Mr. Haynes, where would you prefer to meet?” Elliana asked, maintaining her politeness.

“I’ve made a reservation at Harbor Hearth,” Davin replied smoothly. “It’s a peaceful place, ideal for the kind of conversation we need to have. Would you be able to join me there now?”

“I’ll head over immediately,” Elliana responded without any hesitation. When someone as important as Davin personally requested a meeting, she would rearrange her entire schedule to make it happen, even if she was completely booked.

“Perfect. I’ll be waiting for you,” Davin said with gentle warmth before ending the call.

Elliana was on her feet in an instant, ready to leave. Official source is find?novel.net

Cole immediately got to his feet as well. “I’ll give you a ride there.”

? ? .

Milton, who had been on the verge of offering to go with her, stopped short. Now that his sister had a serious boyfriend, his role as her protective older brother seemed to carry less weight. If he insisted on going, with Cole’s presence he would just end up feeling like an unwelcome third wheel.

Elliana didn’t catch the brief flash of disappointment that crossed Milton’s face. She accepted Cole’s offer without giving it much thought. “That sounds great!”

Cole and Elliana made their way down the winding mountain road together, leaving Arthur and Milton to wonder about the true nature of this sudden meeting that Davin had requested.

Harbor Hearth was an exclusive seafront restaurant with a stellar reputation, located about an hour’s drive from Harmony Estate.

During the drive, Cole kept stealing glances at Lilah, as if he had something important to say but couldn’t quite find the right words. Several times, he opened his mouth to speak, but then seemed to think better of it.

“Finally, noticing his obvious internal struggle, Elliana decided to break the tension. “What’s on your mind?”

“Would it be all right if I called you Elliana?” Cole asked carefully.

She tilted her head, studying his expression with curiosity. “Why the change from Lilah?”

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