Chapter 367
Leo parked the car and strolled up to the entrance, caught off guard by the charming exterior of the place. “This spot’s got quite the vibe,” he mused.
It had an old–world charm about it. With a name like “Herb & Hearth–it hinted at something
from a bygone era.
Mirabella raised an eyebrow, “They specialize in food therapy here, and it’s actually pretty
tasty.”
“Food therapy? That’s a new one for me. Dishes made with herbs and such?” Leo asked, a hint of skepticism in his voice.
“Yeah, all kinds of nourishing dishes. Come on, let’s head inside,” Mirabella said, already making her way through the door.
Leo followed, his gaze sweeping the room while simultaneously keeping an eye out just in case someone recognized him. However, his worries were soon proven unnecessary as they stepped inside. The seating was arranged with privacy screens, and there weren’t too many patrons.
The waiter who came to greet Mirabella had already been tipped off by a call from Knox. He respectfully ushered them into a private dining room.
When the waiter presented the menu, Mirabella browsed it, and her expression turned into a comical grimace. She dug into her purse and pulled out a VIP card, flashing it at the waiter, “I’ve got this discount card. How much does it take off?”
Knox had insisted she take the card last time. She was glad she did. Otherwise, she’d be bleeding cash today–the prices were astronomical!
The waiter took a gander at the card and froze, mouth agape, at a loss for words. Someone was actually treating Knox’s token as a mere discount card… What would Knox think if he found out? Besides, with that card in hand, who needed to pay?
Standing just outside the private dining room, the restaurant manager witnessed Mirabella’s interaction with the waiter and shook his head in disbelief. He couldn’t fathom why Knox had given this young lady the token–she clearly seemed out of her element in such an establishment.
This manager was the same person who had followed Knox the last time, deeming it ridiculous how Knox had treated a girl who had simply rattled off a couple of herb names like royalty. He’d been instructed to personally attend to Mirabella. Still, upon realizing it was the same young lady from before, his enthusiasm waned, which is why he delegated the task to one of the waiters.
Now, watching Mirabella’s naïve demeanor, he felt more convinced of Knox’s lapse in judgment. Shortly after, he left the vicinity of the private dining room, making his way to the
kitchen. Knox’s grandson was coming over for a cooking lesson today, and he figured he’d
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better spend his time teaching him instead.
The waiter regained his composure at the table and explained, “This isn’t for discounts. With Knox’s token, you can dine at any of the Mendoza family’s Herb & Hearth establishments without a reservation, and it’s all on the house.”
Mirabella’s eyes lit up, “Really? No one mentioned that when they gave it to me.”
The waiter offered an awkward smile, thinking to himself that nobody needed to mention it–flashing the card was usually enough.
Meanwhile, Leo, having overheard his sister’s inquiry about a discount, wanted to bury his face in his hands. Their family wasn’t exactly short on cash for dining out, and why on earth was she asking about discounts?
Could it be that their parents hadn’t given Mirabella spending money? Was that why she was being so frugal?
With these thoughts in mind, Leo quietly reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet, ready to cover whatever costs were necessary.
