Rising from the Ashes (Andrew) novel Chapter 2539

Theon had planned to show off a little, putting on a calm, superior front.

Yet, Madeline simply glanced at him and said flatly, "Mr. Theon Orben, was it? Never heard of you. I've only heard of Madam Brielle Baxter and Amari Goodman from Sovereign's Apothecary. Your name doesn't ring a bell."

The color rushed to Theon's face until it turned red.

"You…" he sputtered, humiliated and furious, wanting to argue back.

Madeline ignored him completely, turning around and taking a seat beside Helda. For someone in her 70s, her temper was as fiery as ever.

A spark of anger flared in Theon's chest. He cursed inwardly, 'You old hag! How dare you look down on me like that? Don't you know that I'm now a master alchemist, respected and admired across the continent?'

Melvin frowned but chose not to scold Madeline in front of their guests.

Helda, however, snapped, "Maddie, mind your manners. Mr. Orben is an honored guest of our family."

Madeline replied calmly, "I know, Mom. Anyway, where's Amari? I told him yesterday to come by today. I have something important to discuss with him."

Melvin's expression hardened. "Discuss what? I already warned you not to associate with that man anymore. You do realize Amari was expelled from Sovereign's Apothecary, don't you?"

Theon's face lit up, seizing the chance to add fuel to the fire. "That's right, Ms. Webster. Back when Amari worked at Sovereign's Apothecary, he was one of my subordinates. He made mistakes, got kicked out, and frankly, he's not even worth mentioning. You don't know my name, but you know his?"

He gave a smug laugh. "Honestly, I may not be the best, but compared to Amari, I'm leagues ahead."

Madeline looked at him for a brief moment, and Theon thought she was finally softening toward him. He straightened up, puffing out his chest with a self-satisfied grin.

Could there be anything more humiliating?

"Uh… sorry. I got distracted for a moment," he stammered awkwardly.

His excuse sounded pathetic even to himself.

Madeline, unbothered, said flatly, "Amari mentioned a bit about how he left Sovereign's Apothecary. He didn't tell me much, but I gathered it had more to do with office politics than any real mistake on his part. Now, whether your alchemy skills truly surpass his or not, Mr. Orben, I couldn't care less.

"But the fact that you bullied your own colleagues and suppressed other talents tells me all I need to know. So no, I'm not interested in your so-called talent. Because if you can't even be a decent person, then nothing else you do will ever matter."

The bluntness of her words hit Theon like a slap. His face twisted with rage as he shouted, "How dare you speak to a master alchemist like that?"