NOVEL WEB Chapter 103: Date Invite
Later that day in the training room, Team C had started their workout routine when the speakers built into the walls voiced out an announcement: "Agent Liam, you have a package waiting outside for you."
Liam, who sat in a corner with Brian while they watched Team C train, turned his head toward the speaker and muttered, "Huh?"
The others stopped what they were doing as well. Today they were doing direct combat training instead of their usual simulation work.
"That's new for sure," Sarah said with curiosity.
However, Liam just walked out of the training room and headed outside the main building, where he met a delivery man holding a package in a big box and a clipboard.
When Liam approached, the man asked, "Are you Liam Garry?" Liam nodded, and the man handed him the delivery papers to sign.
Though he was still confused about the whole thing, Liam signed off and the man handed him the box.
As the delivery man started to leave, Liam called out, "Who is this from?"
"I don't know, but it came from the Hollow Demons faction," the delivery man answered before walking away.
"Oh, alright," Liam said, then returned inside with the box in hand. He used his Sovereign Hands skill to make the box float beside him and walked back into the training room with it.
Everyone's faces lit up with excitement about what was in the gift box, and Liam felt curious too. He opened the outer box carefully, revealing another brown gift box inside.
When he opened that one, items were placed neatly side by side. There was a coiled brown leather belt, black aviator sunglasses, a watch with a black face and brown leather strap, a brown leather wallet with "CARLOS ALBERTO" and a tree design on it, and finally a bottle of "DADE" cologne.
"Woaaaahhhh!" Sarah yelled with wide eyes, and they all stared with amazement. Well, not Brian, as he still sat in his corner.
Next to the gifts was a note card. Liam picked it up and opened it while everyone crowded around with curious stares. They all read along with him as he opened it up.
"Agent Liam Garry. Accept this from the Hollow Demons Faction as a token of our thanks for dealing with the monster yesterday. This is also an invitation to join me at The Whitney for a date. Seven PM today."
"Vice President Hollow Demons"
"Ayan Dan"
"Whatttttt?!" Sarah roared out. Amir laughed out loud, "No bloody way!"
Silas just smiled and said casually, "This kid."
Elaine had nothing to say as she wasn't sure how she felt right now. It was a mix of feelings she couldn't explain that built up inside her.
Liam looked on with wide eyes, not sure how to react, and then Sarah said, "You got asked on a date by a frickin' Vice President! Damn, hotshot!"
"So what are you going to say, man?" Amir asked, curious and excited.
"Yeah, are you going to go? You should totally—Ayan is so pretty and you both will make a good couple and have strong kids," Sarah said, already thinking about their future in just a few seconds.
"Woah, woah, woah, calm down, Sarah," Liam said, and Amir laughed.
Sarah noticed Elaine was quiet and wasn't as excited as they were, and she saw that slight frown on Elaine's face. Then Sarah spilled her most honest thoughts: "Hey Elaine, you've said nothing, no way you're jealous, right?"
Elaine gasped, "Nooo, what? Nooo, I-I mean Liam, you should totally go," she said and added a fake smile.
That was totally a save, and Sarah didn't push it further, even though she squinted her eyes weirdly at what Elaine said.
Sarah's attention went right back to Liam, and she asked again, "So what's it gonna be, hotshot?" She said with a grin, "Are you going?"
Liam then said, "No." There was a slight pause after his straight answer before he added, "I don't have time for all of that," and closed the gift box. "I'll have to return this too."
"You're going to stand up the Vice President of Hollow Demons?" Amir asked with slightly wide eyes.
"Oh my God, this feels like reading a novel—beautiful rich woman wants a hot and strong man, but the man's playing hard to get, and at the end they get married," Sarah said while staring at the ceiling and making big hand gestures.
Elaine's heart sank a bit when she heard Sarah tell that story, and then Liam said, "Sarah, get out of your head. I'm not playing hard to get, I'm just not interested in dating stuff right now."
What Liam said felt like relief for Elaine for a second. Then Sarah shook her head with amusement and said, "Oh well, do you, hotshot, and honestly I totally get it, relationships are just stress these days. Although I wouldn't mind seeing you in one."
...
Meanwhile, back at the grand hotel where Edmund and Dorian were staying, one of Edmund's security men helped him sit on the bed carefully since he had sustained wounds and bruises from being sent flying like that.
"Ow, ow, ow," Edmund muttered in pain as his bodyguard eased him down onto one of the beds.
"I'll deal with the rest," Dorian said to the security men, and they both nodded at him before leaving the room.
Once they were alone, Dorian muttered quietly, "Kiyomi…"
"Yes, my love," came the voice in an eerie but sweet feminine tone as she appeared behind him, her size some inches taller than he was.
Edmund's eyes went wide seeing the creature appear right in front of him. She had feminine human-like features but was clearly a mythical being with her grey skin, and curved horns.
Kiyomi already knew why she'd been called and immediately stretched her hand toward Edmund. Then, a dark pink magical glow covered her outstretched right arm, and right away Edmund felt his bruises healing and the pain going away.
But just as he watched himself get better and felt relief wash over him, his eyes suddenly shut and he fell unconscious, or maybe just fell asleep, it was hard to tell which.