"That bastard, Felix! You invited him to dinner, and he's over 20 minutes late!" Belle complained angrily.

Xena, however, remained calm. "It's fine. He has his reasons for being upset. But if he can't even handle this, it only confirms what I've always thought of him—he won't achieve much."

After a pause, something seemed to cross her mind. "Have we heard anything from Joe?"

Belle shook her head. "No. We haven't been able to reach him. I don't know what's going on with him. He just disappeared without a word. It's strange."

Jordan's sudden and unexpected disappearance was weighing on Xena's mind. She knew why he had returned to Avesburgh—he was clearly trying to pursue her again. But for him to vanish just days later didn't add up.

"Never mind. If we can't contact him, there's no use worrying. He might have his reasons."

At that moment, the door to the private room opened, and Felix finally walked in.

"Felix! Do you even know what time it is? Who shows up this late?" Belle shout