The maid returned a few minutes later.
She was not alone.
Walking beside her was a young woman considerably shorter than average, dressed elegantly but discreetly. Her brown hair framed a face with soft features, while her green eyes moved calmly around the room with quiet attentiveness.
Her height might draw attention during a first encounter. However, there was something about her posture and the serene confidence of her movements that prevented her presence from being reduced solely to that detail. She did not seem uncomfortable inside an unfamiliar residence, nor particularly impressed by the size of the place.
She walked naturally.
Charlotte rose to her feet when she saw her enter.
"Anna Maria, I'm glad you were able to come."
"I couldn't refuse an invitation from you, Mrs. Glass," the young woman replied with a faint smile. "I hope I haven't arrived too late."
"You arrived just in time," Relly said, also rising from his seat.
Rilley remained seated for a moment, observing her in silence. He did not need anyone to explain who she was.
Anna Maria Marconi.
The researcher his father had originally recruited for GIG's Energy Division. The same young woman who, shortly afterward, ended up working directly under his mother within the Beauty and Cosmetics Division.
Her name also stirred memories that no one else inside that room could possibly understand.
In the comics he had read during his previous life, Anna Maria Marconi had been part of the story of «Superior Spider-Man». She was an intelligent and self-assured woman, capable of defending her ideas without allowing anyone to belittle her because of her appearance.
However, this Anna Maria did not completely match the version he remembered. This was a different universe. Her decisions, relationships, and future could still take an entirely different direction.
Even so, her appearance managed to surprise him.
Anna Maria looked much younger than he had imagined. Her short stature and youthful features could lead someone to think, during a first encounter, that she was barely around fifteen years old.
Rilley could not determine her actual age merely by looking at her. If she already held an important position within GIG's Beauty and Cosmetics Division, there was a possibility that she was older than she appeared. Although he could not entirely dismiss the possibility that she was simply an exceptionally young researcher.
After all, truly gifted geniuses existed in that world.
But that initial impression began to fade as soon as one paid attention to the way she carried herself. There was no shyness in her posture or insecurity in her gaze. Every movement conveyed a natural calm and a confidence difficult to ignore.
Anna Maria, apparently noticing that someone was observing her, held his gaze for several seconds before tilting her head slightly.
"Is something wrong?" she asked with genuine curiosity.
The question pulled Rilley from his thoughts. Only then did he realize that he had been staring at her for too long.
He stood immediately.
"My apologies. I was thinking about something else," he replied naturally before approaching to welcome her.
The difference in height between them became even more noticeable when they stood face-to-face. More than half a meter separated them.
Rilley avoided dwelling on that detail and simply extended a hand toward her with courtesy.
"Rilley Glass," he said by way of introduction.
Anna Maria observed his hand for a brief moment before accepting the gesture. Her response remained polite, although there was a certain caution in her movements.
"Anna Maria Marconi. Although I suppose you already knew that."
Rilley shook her hand gently, careful not to prolong the greeting unnecessarily.
"It would be strange if I didn't know the principal researcher my mother stole from the Energy Division," he said, attempting to ease the situation.
For a brief instant, no one said a word.
Relly remained silent.
Charlotte maintained a calm smile.
"I wouldn't say I stole her," she replied. "I simply recognized an opportunity before anyone else did."
Anna Maria let out a restrained laugh. Some of her initial caution seemed to dissipate after that remark.
Rilley realized then that the dinner might not be as uncomfortable as he had imagined.
Remembering the conversation he had with his father earlier that morning, he could not ignore the real reason his mother had arranged the gathering. Charlotte intended to formally introduce them.
She had probably also spent some time talking about her son's qualities before inviting Anna Maria to dinner. The thought caused Rilley a certain amount of discomfort. Knowing his mother, she had undoubtedly exaggerated some details.
However, that was not enough reason to behave discourteously. Anna Maria was not responsible for Charlotte's intentions. Beyond the initial caution caused by his prolonged stare, she did not appear particularly uncomfortable with the situation either.
Before the conversation could continue for too long in the living room, Lizel appeared at the entrance.
"Sir, ma'am, dinner is ready," she reported with her usual composure.
Relly nodded.
"Thank you, Lizel."
The young woman inclined her head slightly before withdrawing.
Charlotte turned her gaze toward the others.
"Then we should continue in the dining room."
Rilley stepped aside to allow Anna Maria to walk ahead with his parents. As he followed them, he thought that the dinner could still become an uncomfortable experience.
But, at least for now, it did not seem inevitable.
The dining room had been prepared with the same care as the rest of the residence. Warm lighting fell across a broad table covered with a light-colored tablecloth and an elegantly arranged set of dishes. There was nothing excessively ostentatious about the presentation. Every detail had been selected to maintain a refined appearance without making the gathering needlessly rigid.
Lizel and two other members of the staff began serving dinner shortly after everyone took their seats.
During the first few minutes, the conversation revolved around simple topics. Charlotte asked Anna Maria about matters related to her work and briefly mentioned several plans she had for the following days. Relly occasionally intervened with short and precise observations.
Rilley, for his part, listened in silence.
His mother seemed to guide the conversation naturally. But Rilley knew her far too well. It did not take him long to realize that several topics had been chosen with a very specific intention.
"Anna Maria also enjoys cooking," Charlotte commented after setting her utensils aside. "Although I suspect each of you has a different specialty."
Anna Maria showed a faint smile.
"I like preparing desserts from time to time, especially when I need to clear my head after a difficult day. Although I have to admit that I feel much more comfortable preparing a complete meal."
"What do you usually cook?" Rilley asked with genuine curiosity.
"A little of everything," Anna Maria replied. "Pasta, soups, stews, dishes with meat or fish. My father taught me several traditional recipes when I was a child, but over time I learned others on my own."
"So you don't limit yourself to Italian cuisine."
"Not at all," she replied naturally. "I like trying new recipes. Sometimes I follow the original preparation, and other times I end up modifying certain details."
"So you experiment with your recipes as well."
"Of course. Cooking is also a form of science. You change one variable, observe the result, and correct what is necessary until you find the proper balance."
Rilley nodded with a faint smile.
"On that, we completely agree. Baking works in a similar way, although it tends to be far less forgiving. Change a proportion slightly, alter the temperature by a few degrees, or leave something in the oven for one additional minute, and the result is no longer the same. Sometimes it improves. Other times, the texture or flavor changes completely."
Anna Maria tilted her head slightly.
"So baking is your specialty."
"You could say that," Rilley replied. "I cook fairly well, but desserts have always interested me more."
Charlotte directed a discreet glance toward her son.
"Fairly well is a modest way of putting it. Although it is true that baking has always been his real specialty."
Rilley remained silent for a moment.
"Mom."
"What is it?" Charlotte asked with a calm smile. "I'm only telling the truth."
Without giving him time to respond, she returned her attention to Anna Maria.
"He entered several competitions a few years ago. I still keep every one of his awards."
"I don't think that was necessary to mention," Rilley replied.
Anna Maria let out a restrained laugh.
"Now I'm curious."
After releasing a resigned sigh, Rilley answered:
"I mostly prepare cakes, tarts, sweet breads, and a few chocolate desserts. Although I also like trying new combinations."
"Then we'll have to exchange some recipes," Anna Maria replied.
Rilley showed a discreet smile.
"That seems fair. You can teach me one of your dishes, and I can help you with baking."
"Deal."
The conversation continued more naturally after that.
Rilley could handle himself perfectly well in front of a stove and prepare a complete meal when the occasion required it. However, his true specialty had always been baking. He enjoyed measuring each ingredient with precision, adjusting textures, and experimenting with different combinations of flavors until he found the proper balance.
Anna Maria was different.
She knew how to prepare desserts and could do so with considerable ease, but her greatest talent lay in traditional cooking and the preparation of savory dishes. She had learned her first recipes during childhood alongside her father and, over the years, considerably expanded her repertoire. She did not limit herself to Sicilian or Italian cuisine. She enjoyed discovering new dishes, studying different preparation methods, and adapting each recipe until she found the proper balance between its ingredients.
That difference did not separate them.
Quite the opposite.
It made their shared interest far more interesting.
Little by little, they discovered that cooking was not the only thing they had in common. Both enjoyed action and science-fiction movies, felt constant curiosity toward new discoveries, and possessed a considerable tendency to speak at length whenever a scientific subject managed to capture their attention.
Charlotte barely needed to intervene. After a few minutes, the topics began emerging naturally on their own.
Rilley also ended up learning a little more about Anna Maria's life.
She had been born in Sicily, Italy. Her father was Italian and her mother American. During part of her childhood, she had lived with both of them. However, after turning eight, she remained primarily with her father when her mother returned to the United States.
She completed her initial university studies at the University of Florence within the Faculty of Biological Sciences. One year before finishing that stage of her education, she received an offer to continue her studies at Empire State University through one of the scholarship programs backed by GIG.
The offer covered her tuition, housing, and primary expenses. It also allowed her to continue into a doctoral program in the field of her choice after graduating, in exchange for providing her professional services to the corporation for the following years under a formal and well-paid contract.
Anna Maria studied the proposal carefully before accepting it.
Empire State University did not merely possess a considerable reputation. Over the previous decade, it had also expanded its facilities, renovated its equipment, and strengthened several of its research centers through investments from GIG and other associated companies.
For someone interested in scientific research, it was difficult to ignore such an opportunity.
As part of the final stage of her studies in biological sciences and her subsequent admission into a doctoral program in biochemistry, Anna Maria presented a project involving fish modified with bioluminescent genes.
Relly immediately paid attention to the results.
"It was difficult to ignore," he commented while lifting his glass. "Bioluminescence could offer interesting applications within the Energy Division and in various environmental projects."
That research was the reason he formally decided to bring Anna Maria into GIG's Energy Division.
For some time, the young woman worked under the supervision of that branch. However, Charlotte eventually recognized that her knowledge could also have valuable applications within the beauty and cosmetics sector.
And she made a decision without consulting her husband beforehand.
She ordered Anna Maria's transfer.
"There were possibilities within other divisions as well," Charlotte added calmly.
Relly briefly looked toward her.
"I know," he replied. "I would have appreciated hearing your opinion before receiving the transfer notice."
Charlotte maintained her smile.
"The process was already moving forward. There was no reason to delay it."
Rilley noticed a faint resignation in his father's expression. By that point, it was evident that he still remembered perfectly well how he had lost a promising researcher without even being given the opportunity to discuss it.
Anna Maria held her glass with both hands and slightly averted her gaze. The restrained smile that appeared on her face made it clear that this was not the first time she had heard that conversation.
"I have to admit, the project caught my attention," Rilley said. "Did you work solely with the expression of fluorescent proteins, or did you also study the energy expenditure associated with the modification?"
Anna Maria set her glass on the table before responding.
"Both. Achieving expression of the gene was not enough. If the organism could not sustain the additional energy expenditure, the result became unstable."
Rilley remained silent for a brief moment.
That observation coincided with one of the main problems detected during the trials of «Compound U1». Cellular regeneration could repair part of the damage caused by physical overload, but it could not produce energy from nothing.
That gave him plenty to think about.
Anna Maria had not provided him with a solution, but her words opened new possibilities that he might be able to adapt to his other projects.