Chapter 12: A Risky Move
Meanwhile, Arthur had unknowingly taken Aelira's lost crystal-like device from his room and handed it over to his research team, hoping they could uncover its origins and purpose. He suspected it might be valuable, perhaps containing something groundbreaking, though he had no idea just how significant it truly was.
Back at the office, Aelira came up with a bold plan to secure a contract between Lou's restaurant and Arthur's company. Disguising her intentions, she decided to deliver a "special meal" directly to Arthur. Cleverly, she slipped the contract papers onto his desk, hoping he might sign them by mistake in the stack of documents requiring his attention.
As she set the food on his desk, she noticed Arthur's distracted expression, his mind clearly preoccupied with an upcoming meeting. "Please, try it," she urged gently, pushing the plate toward him. "It's a specialty dish. You won't regret it."
Arthur politely declined at first, focused on his work. Undeterred, Aelira took matters into her own hands. Playfully, she picked up a small piece of the food and offered it to him. Reluctantly, Arthur allowed her to feed him a bite, more out of impatience than genuine interest.
Feeling satisfied with her plan, Aelira left, hoping that in his distraction, Arthur would sign the contract hidden among his documents. But shortly after, Arthur began to feel dizzy. He brushed it off as stress from his hectic schedule and hurried to his meeting, but the discomfort soon escalated. His skin flushed, and his breathing became labored—a sensation he hadn't experienced in years.
Alarmed, his team rushed him to the hospital, where doctors quickly identified the issue: a severe allergic reaction.
As he regained clarity, the doctor questioned him. "Are you allergic to seafood?"
Arthur, still groggy, nodded.
The doctor frowned in disbelief. "Then why did you eat it?"
Arthur's mind flashed back to Aelira, remembering how she had insisted and fed him the bite. Frustration boiled within him as he realized she had unwittingly triggered the incident.
The story of Arthur's sudden hospitalization quickly hit the media: "Prominent Businessman Admitted to Hospital After Incident at Lou's Restaurant." The news added public embarrassment to Arthur's day, casting a shadow over both his image and the reputation of Lou's restaurant.
Back at the restaurant, Aelira's heart sank as she heard the report. She hadn't known about Arthur's seafood allergy, and now, her plan had backfired disastrously.