Instead, his eyes shifted briefly past the man toward the masked woman standing behind the counter before he spoke in a lower, calmer voice.
“I need to meet the chef,” he said. “I’m looking for a meal plan that helps increase blood levels, so I need to create a specialized diet plan for someone.”
The employee blinked slightly in surprise.
“We don’t create personalized meal plans.”
It was Amara who answered.
She stepped forward from behind the counter, her posture straight and composed as her cold, emotionless eyes landed on the two of them.
The moment Elias heard her voice, he stilled.
His brows furrowed slightly as he slowly turned toward her.
For a second, confusion flickered across his face.
Why does she look so familiar?
Even with the mask covering half her face, something about her eyes and voice tugged at his memory.
Elias unconsciously stared at her for a few moments longer than necessary, trying to place where he had seen her before.
It wasn’t until Bianca suddenly tightened her grip around his arm that he snapped out of it and glanced down at her.
Bianca’s expression had already darkened.
The way Elias was staring at the woman instantly made jealousy rise inside her chest. Her nails dug lightly into his sleeve.
Elias blinked once before finally lowering his gaze toward her.
She immediately turned toward Amara behind the counter, lifting her chin arrogantly.
“We’re paying you,” Bianca said rudely, her voice filled with irritation. “What exactly are you acting so difficult for? We’re not asking for it for free, are we? You’ll get more than enough money out of it.”
She crossed her arms tightly over her chest and scoffed. Her tone was shrill and disrespectful.
The atmosphere around the counter instantly became tense.
Shane’s polite smile stiffened slightly at Bianca’s tone, but he quickly straightened his posture and maintained professionalism.
“I’m sorry, ma’am,” he said calmly while glancing between the two of them, “but as mentioned, we do not curate personal menus for individual clients.”
He straightened slightly before continuing politely.
“We do have specialty dishes focused on health and medicinal benefits. You’re welcome to dine here, and you may book tables in advance depending on availability.”
Shane picked up a menu and held it out respectfully.
“What wecando is help you choose dishes suitable for needs today.”
Elias gave a small nod. As he spoke, his gaze unconsciously drifted back toward Amara again.
“I understand you have policies,” he continued, “but I’m willing to pay for the inconvenience. Your restaurant is known for making food with medicinal benefits, which is exactly why I came here.”
He rested one hand lightly against the counter.
“Money isn’t an issue. I can pay extra for everything, including delivery.”