Chapter 88: Strauss’ Stress
’I see... Max doesn’t seem to be in conflict with his brother, but maybe... he’s just tolerating him. I wonder if I can take advantage of that. It would be ideal if I could pull this "Max" to my side and have him report Maximilian to me’ Strauss thought.
With that in mind, Strauss decided to work on that plan later. For now, it was time for him to leave—he had long overstayed his welcome.
"Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Graham, Ms. Switch, and Mr. Navarro. Excuse me," Strauss said, giving a slight nod to Maximilian before walking toward the door of the café. He paused just before stepping out.
"Your coffee is good, Mr. Graham. I’ll visit again once the café officially opens," Strauss added, then stepped outside.
"Yeah, like that guy said, your coffee beans must’ve been kept with great care to have that kind of aroma. I’ll come back just for the coffee," Oldcowboy praised, speaking in his usual southern drawl.
After the two exited the café, Ricardo and his gang continued working, arranging and decorating the first floor, and renovating certain parts, such as installing electrical connections so guests could easily charge their devices from the comfort of their seats.
The work proceeded without a hitch, as no one came in to bother them. Of course, a few people stopped by the front door or peered through the windows from time to time, looking in curiously before moving on.
While preparing the coffee beans for tomorrow, Maximilian noticed that Switch seemed distracted. Ever since Strauss had taken her blood sample, her thoughts appeared to wander, and she let out the occasional sigh.
In the evening, after everything was set and done and Ricardo and his gang had returned home, Switch sat watching a series on a notebook, sipping the coffee Maximilian brewed for her. From time to time, she glanced outside through the glass window, lost in thought, sighing quietly.
"If there’s anything you need help with, you can tell me," Maximilian said, placing his coffee on the table and sitting opposite her.
Seeing Maximilian showing concern and sitting down in front of her stirred a warm feeling in her chest. A light blush colored her face as she became aware of her heartbeat. But instead of responding, she turned to the window, avoiding his gaze as if afraid he might see too deeply into her.