But then Filza added, “Well, he kind of looks like Mr. Whitman.”

Eleanor immediately looked up. “What?”

Eliza pointed ahead. “A group of people just walked by. The one leading them looked like Mr. Whitman.”

Eleanor glanced over but only caught a glimpse of the hem of a suit jacket from the last person in the group. She didn’t see Sebastian.

Looking around, she said, “He’s supposed to be on a business trip. Could it really be such a coincidence?”

The receptionist brought over two cups of coffee. “Please, have some coffee while you wait.”

Eleanor thanked her, then casually asked, “Were the people who just passed by also from Stone City?”

“No, they’re from Wavenport City,” replied the receptionist.

Then, it couldn’t have been Sebastian. Eleanor figured it would’ve been too much of a coincidence, anyway. Eliza must’ve been mistaken. Good-looking people tended to share similar features.

She picked up her coffee and took a sip.

A short time later, a man in a suit approached them. “Excuse me, are you Ms. Eleanor Sandberg from Sandberg Group?”

Eleanor stood up. “Yes, I am.”

The man handed her his business card. “Hello, I’m Mr. Duncan’s secretary.”

He gave her an apologetic smile. “I’m terribly sorry, but Mr. Duncan has to entertain an important guest at the last minute and won’t be able to meet with you today. I hate to have made you come all this way for nothing.”

“You must have come straight here from the airport, right? That must have been exhausting. Let me take you back to your hotel. We can reschedule for tomorrow if Mr. Duncan is…”

Eleanor raised an eyebrow. “I understand. No need to trouble yourself. We’re staying nearby, so we can just walk.”

“Thank you for understanding.”

After seeing them off, the man hurried upstairs, most likely to meet with the group from Wavenport City.

“Looks like people from Stone City aren’t as important as those from Wavenport City,” Eleanor remarked.

She then picked up her bag. “Come on, I’ll take you to try their famous dish here—Crystal Glaze Fish!”

Eliza pulled a face. “Do we have to? I heard Crystal Glaze Fish is like the Anglorian version of Mariner’s Pie. It’s a complete disaster.”

Eleanor disagreed. Since they were already here, they might as well just try, even though it could be terrible.

Putting an arm around Eliza’s shoulder, Eleanor led her out of Zeiten and flagged down a cab. As they left, they seemed rather cheerful.

In the second floor of Zeiten, by the window, Harrison Duncan asked Sebastian, “Mr. Whitman, what are you looking at?”

His office was on the fourth floor, yet he had pressed the button for the second floor and walked straight to the window. Sebastian withdrew his gaze from the woman below and turned away indifferently. “Nothing.”

Eleanor rescheduled with Harthen for the following morning at ten. That evening, she and Eliza headed downstairs. The hotel was close to Zeiten; it was just a few minutes’ walk.

But as soon as they stepped into the lobby, they saw Harrison and his secretary.

Eleanor quickly walked over. “Mr. Duncan, I should be meeting you at your office. What brings you here? Let’s sit over there at the café.”

Harrison waved a hand. “No, no, that won’t be necessary. I just need to say something, and then I’ll be on my way. Ms. Eleanor, our companies have been working together for over a decade. It wouldn’t be right not to tell you this in…”

Eitanor exchanged a look with Elfra. Both of them had a feeling about this.