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As soon as he was out of the bed, Elijah dropped to the ground, performing a series of press-ups and pretty other exercises that required endurance. Sweat rolled down his face with his body screaming for a break but he didn’t give up.

The worst thing that could ever happen to him was getting out of shape and he was in a precarious position more than ever. He had to be fit and ready for action.

Marcel wouldn’t be slacking off either, so he had to be prepared for when they met. He couldn’t wait for that day when they met face to face.

When he was done, Elijah got into the bathroom where he freshened up and donned a casual outfit. He has never been the type to dress meticulously unless he had a purpose or is on a mission. Not to mention, everything looked good on him; he had the perfect body.

Just like everyone else, he arrived at the restaurant earlier than the expected time. Adele was strict about her schedule and he had to make a good first impression. Unlike Cindy, Adele was Elijah’s target and the only person that could get him closer to Marcel. He needed her in this plan.

Compared to the previous times, Elijah was treated with more respect by his colleagues. Their opinion of him seems to have changed after that fight with John. Hence, he went from a “pretty face” to a “respected” face. Unlike the others, he was the only one amongst them prompted, hence, a few of them admired him while the rest were full of envy.

However, what surprised Elijah the most was when John, the colleague he defeated at the club that day, walked up to him with his hulky form and his body coiled with tension thinking that the man was coming for a confrontation.

They couldn’t fight here, not when Adele was minutes away from arriving and he was sure John understood that as well. So Aziz calmed down, but his guard was up. If anything happened, he was defending himself.

.....

But John did the opposite of what he thought, the man thrust out his hand instead and Elijah recognized that instant that he was seeking peace. He accepted the gesture, enveloping his strong, huge hand with his.

“Thanks for kicking my ass,” He grinned at him.

“Gladly.” Elijah smiled back.

The huge man pulled him into a side hug, patting him on the back like a beloved brother would and their colleagues cheered. It seems that the prejudice they held against him was cleared with that one fight.

“That’s a good one there,” Adele entered without announcing, causing all of them to turn in her direction.

They all stared transfixed at the women who walked with vigor and confidence and some of the men couldn’t help but sigh in awe. Unlike the usual Luciano with their typical gray eyes and mostly brunette hair gene, Adele was a huge contract.

She alone in the family had ink-black hair that was currently pulled in a sleek ponytail and her dark eyes looked ahead fearlessly. Adele wore a suit that accentuated her slender yet athletic shape. She looked fit and the men in that room had no doubt she would take on any of them if the need called for it.

Adele commanded respect with her powerful strides and Elijah had to admit, he liked her guts. Women like that were hard to come by – and also impossible to submit to men like him. He had to be careful around her.

She didn’t even look at them while saying, “At least, this year’s recruits aren’t entirely idiots.”

Adele had no fear that she literally just insulted ten fully grown men in this room. Instead, she took the seat by the head table – which was reserved for her anyway – and sat down without waiting for them.

The table was rectangular and accommodated all of them such that every one of them took their seat after she settled down.

None of them made a sound with Adele around, the atmosphere different from the vibrant ambiance when she hadn’t arrived. They all had their guards up, evidenced by the way they sat with their spines straight and body alert.

As much as this was a casual gathering, they had to be careful. What if this was some test to separate the weak from the poor. After all, this organization alone was the survival of the fittest. No one wanted to be at the bottom of the food chain.

The tension increased when Adele didn’t say a word for a long time, she just kept scanning their faces one after the other and most of them kept their expression neutral yet confident. It was only Aziz who had a nonchalant pose as if he was bored out of his mind. Of course, Adele saw that and didn’t say anything. Her gaze lingered on him the longest before looking away.

Her stoic expression revealed nothing as to what she was thinking inside and that only made the men more nervous. What was she up to? However, it came as a shock to them in the next minute when Adele burst into loud laughter.

Huh? What was going on? They had no clue.

However, when Adele laughed to the point tears escaped her eyes, some of the recruits had no choice but to join her as well to make it seem awkward. Hence, in no time, most of them were laughing with Adele – for reasons they had no idea about.

This was very awkward.

“You guys are so hilarious,” Adele said, wiping the tears from her eyes. She told them jovially, “Please don’t stand on ceremony with me. I just decided to have breakfast with you guys to know you all better since some of you would be working closely with me in the future. There are no plans of elimination, that is rest assured.” She calmed their fears.