"Then you get to enjoy the show."
Claire figured a girl as offensive as Rose would have plenty of people ready to kick her while she was down.
She didn't stay on the phone with Shirley for long, though.
That afternoon, Claire picked up some snacks and fresh fruit before Dane dropped her off at home.
She and her grandmother were staying at Hearth & Kettle.
Dane was technically staying there too, but his schedule was packed, so he left immediately after dropping her off.
Because of Old Randall's defective supplies, a massive chunk of the plumbing and wiring had to be ripped out and inspected.
It was an undeniable setback.
Dane had to personally oversee the crisis to ensure they met the original deadline.
Otherwise, he'd have hell to pay with the city council.
After getting home, Claire greeted her grandmother and went upstairs for a nap.
She slept straight through until past five.
Just as she was getting out of bed to ask her grandmother what was for dinner, her phone rang.
It was Meiko Fujii.
"Claire, it's Melanie."
Claire obviously recognized her voice.
But receiving a call from Melanie made Claire's expression tighten slightly.
"Melanie, is something wrong?"
"Well, it's like this... Are you back in your hometown right now, or are you in Cabinda?"
Melanie hadn't forgotten Claire mentioning she was heading home for the holidays. "Yes, I'm back home."
"Why are you asking, Melanie?"
"Did your mentor actually travel to Solenia?"
Melanie had previously mentioned that although her mentor was Solenian, he had left the country heartbroken years ago and refused to return.
Given that history, Claire hadn't pushed the issue of him traveling to Solenia for treatment.
Sundara's medical infrastructure was top-tier, anyway.
Perhaps he could find a cure locally in Sundara.
"Yes. After a lot of begging, my mentor finally agreed to come to Solenia and give it a try."
"But I have to warn you... my mentor's temperament can be extremely difficult."
"It might just be the chronic pain
talking,
offenut... if he comes across &
offensive when you meet him, please try not to take it personally."
Claire wasn't incapable of giving a
patient grace, but if this guy wasnet
genuinely awful, she wasn't
going to.. bite her tongue.
After all, the patient wasn't her own flesh and blood.
"I'll try my best," Claire replied noncommittally.
She couldn't promise she wouldn't lose her temper with some cranky guy from Sundara.
Even though Melanie insisted her mentor used to be Solenian.
That was in the past. Now, he was firmly a citizen of Sundara.
For someone who had entirely abandoned their roots, Claire only had polite indifference.
But if he crossed a line, she wouldn't hesitate to judge him.
Hearing Claire's tone, Melanie felt a flicker of doubt about her reliability, but didn't voice it.
"Can we meet tonight?"
Tonight?
Claire hadn't expected them to be in such a rush.
"Melanie, is your mentor already in Apex?"
Melanie let out a tense laugh. "Yes, he's here."
"His condition has deteriorated rapidly. We really can't afford to wait."
"I'm so sorry, Claire. I know it's incredibly last-minute, but we're out of options."
Her mentor must be standing at death's door for Melanie to sound so desperate and submissive.
Claire didn't have any pressing plans for the evening, and a life was on the line. Since she had already agreed to help, she had no intention of backing out now content belongs FindNovel.net
"Alright." Claire nodded, realizing they hadn't set a location.
"Which hotel are you staying at?"
"Is your mentor well enough to travel?"
"We're at The Royal Grand. Could you possibly come straight to us?"