Inside, they sat on the sofa. Gerard poured water for Lilah, who handed him the sachet. "Brenda and Laura made this for you."

Gerard examined the sachet, taking in its delicate fragrance. There was an underlying scent, faint and elusive, which seemed vaguely familiar to him, but he couldn't quite place it.

"What's wrong?" Lilah asked, sensing something unusual in Gerard's expression.

"It's nothing," Gerard replied, shaking off his brief distraction. He then shifted the conversation toward Lilah's experiences at work.

“How has it been working in the group recently? Is anyone causing trouble for you?"

"Yes, Howard and his allies are troubling. They were hired by my father, who seems to have a knack for finding the worst people."

Lilah shared her frustrations.

Gerard listened attentively, nodding and occasionally offering advice.

As they talked, Lilah realized that Gerard's insights mirrored those her grandfather used to share. She mentioned this to Gerard, intrigued.

“It sounds like your grandfather was a remarkable man," Gerard responded with a smile.

“No, it shows how exceptional you are. To be so young and yet so wise, you're like a second mentor to me," Lilah said earnestly.

"I'm flattered," Gerard replied softly.

Their conversation continued comfortably until Gerard's demeanor suddenly shifted. His face tensed, and his expression darkened.

Concerned, Lilah quickly asked, “What's wrong?"

Approaching him, she touched his forehead. "You're overheated. Did you catch a cold without putting on your clothes after showering?"

"No, it's mot that," Gerard answered, his skin unusually warm.

Suddenly, he grasped Lilah's wrist and took a deep breath. "Please, step outside for a moment."

Lilah, realizing the nature of his discomfort, hesitated. “Are you...

Could it be...?"

Lilah was deeply concerned by Gerard's condition. His silence confirmed her fears-he had been drugged, but the question of how it happened at home puzzled her.

"Do you think we should go to the hospital? This could be serious,"

Lilah suggested, her expression filled with worry.

In response, Gerard picked up the sachet and tossed it out the door, where a bodyguard promptly disposed of it. It dawned on Lilah that the sachet was the source of the problem.

"Did anything seem off when you received the sachet?" Gerard asked, fixing her with an intense stare.