Chapter 124: Sunshine Meets Storm

Bob’s enthusiastic wave faltered the moment his eyes landed on Cyrus behind Kane.

His sunny expression shifted to something resembling a deer caught in headlights.

"Oh! Uh..." Bob’s hand dropped to the table. "I didn’t realize you were... bringing company."

The disappointment in Bob’s voice was unmistakable, and Kane felt heat crawl up his neck. He’d clearly misread Bob’s invitation entirely.

"Sorry, I should have mentioned—" Kane started, but Cyrus smoothly stepped forward.

"Mr. Holloway." Cyrus’s voice carried that perfectly polite tone that could freeze water.

"Nice meeting you again, sorry for the intrusion."

Bob scrambled to his feet, nearly knocking over his coffee cup.

"No, no! Of course not. Please, sit wherever."

Kane moved toward the chair across from Bob, and Cyrus settled deliberately in the seat beside Kane.

The territorial display was subtle but unmistakable.

"So Bob, how’ve you been since the cruise?" Kane asked, settling into his chair.

Bob’s face brightened considerably, though his glance toward Cyrus remained wary.

"Oh, the cruise was relatively boring after you two left." Bob stirred his coffee absently.

Kane laughed. "Boring? I guess that means you find me pretty interesting."

He caught Cyrus’s sharp look from his peripheral vision and fought back a grin.

"Speaking of interesting—what ever happened with your father’s auction? The one at sea?"

Bob’s expression shifted, becoming more guarded as he glanced between Kane and Cyrus.

"Actually," Bob continued, leaning forward conspiratorially, "the whole trip ended up being a disaster. Father’s big auction never even happened."

"Really?" Kane’s interest sharpened.

Bob’s expression darkened, his usual sunny demeanor clouding over.

"Someone tipped off the authorities. The Coast Guard raided us before the auction could begin." He shook his head ruefully.

"Father was absolutely livid. Three years of planning down the drain."

Cyrus remained silent, but Kane noticed his fingers drumming once against the table.

"That’s... unfortunate,"

"Well, things happen," Bob said with surprising vehemence, then caught himself.

"I mean, some of those artifacts probably belonged in museums anyway."

He brightened again, focusing entirely on Kane.

"But enough about that mess—did you two find what you were looking for? That chalice you mentioned?"

Kane exchanged a quick glance with Cyrus before nodding.

"We did, actually. Thanks to your help."

Bob waved dismissively, his cheeks flushing pink.

"Oh, that was nothing. Just a silly snow globe. I’m amazed it actually pointed you in the right direction."

The waiter appeared beside their table, tablet in hand. "What can I get you gentlemen started with today?"

Bob immediately perked up, gesturing toward Kane.

"A triple chocolate frappe and a slice of chocolate ganache cake for my friend here."

Kane blinked. "Bob, you don’t have to—"

"Don’t worry about it! It’s my treat." Bob beamed, then looked expectantly at Cyrus.

"Black coffee. No sugar," Cyrus said flatly.

The waiter scribbled notes and disappeared, leaving an awkward silence that Bob rushed to fill.

"So, Kane-o, what’ve you been up to since the Mediterranean? Still working the corporate assistant gig?"

"Kane-o?" Cyrus’s voice could have cut glass.

Kane shot him a warning look. "Yeah, still assisting. It’s been—"

"His name is Kane," Cyrus interrupted smoothly.

Bob laughed nervously. "Right, sorry. So Kane, any exciting projects lately?"

"Actually, we’ve been researching some unusual artifacts—" Kane began.

Bob’s smile dimmed slightly, and he leaned back in his chair with a small sigh.

"More artifacts? Kane, you just finished that whole chalice adventure." His tone carried a hint of exasperation.

"Don’t you think you should take a break from all that dangerous treasure hunting?"

"It’s not the same thing," Kane said quickly. "This is different—we’re looking for something that could help heal our friend. She’s in really bad shape."

Bob’s expression immediately softened, concern replacing his mild irritation.

"Oh no, I’m sorry. Is she seriously hurt?"

"It’s complicated," Kane replied, glancing at Cyrus. "She has a medical condition that conventional treatment can’t fix. We think there might be artifacts with healing properties that could help."

The waiter returned, setting down Kane’s elaborate chocolate creation and Cyrus’s stark black coffee. Bob’s slice of ganache cake arrived with an extra fork.

"Well, when you put it like that..." Bob pushed the cake toward the center of the table.

"I mean, helping a friend is different than just hunting for treasure. What kind of healing artifact are you looking for?"

Kane wrapped his hands around the frappe glass, grateful for Bob’s understanding.

"Something with regenerative properties, possibly fragments of a larger relic."

Bob tilted his head, studying Kane with a puzzled expression.

"That’s... oddly specific. Regenerative properties, fragments of a larger relic." He stirred his coffee thoughtfully.

"You sound like you know exactly what you’re looking for."

Kane shifted in his seat, suddenly aware of how precise his description had been.

"Well, we’ve done some research—"

"Father’s collection is extensive, but most of his healing artifacts are more... general purpose," Bob continued, cutting Kane off gently.

"Protection charms, ward stones, that sort of thing. Nothing as specialized as what you’re describing."

He paused, fork halfway to his mouth with a bite of ganache cake.

"But I could look through our acquisition records if you like. Father keeps detailed catalogs of everything—provenance, properties, previous owners. Maybe there’s something in the archives that might help."

Bob’s offer was genuine, his blue eyes bright with sincerity to assist.

"I’d have to be discreet about it, of course. Father’s still touchy about the whole cruise fiasco, and he doesn’t like me poking around his business files."

Kane felt a flutter of hope mixed with guilt. Bob was offering to risk his father’s displeasure to help.

"Wow, that would be incredible help," Kane said, leaning forward with genuine gratitude.

"I don’t know how to repay you for this."

Bob’s face lit up with enthusiasm hearing Kane’s words, his cheeks flushing pink.

"Actually, there might be something..." He fidgeted with his napkin, suddenly shy.

"Would you maybe want to go out sometime? Just the two of us? There’s this wonderful little bistro downtown, and they have live jazz on Friday nights—"