"If it were really a bother, Adrian wouldn't have gone," Sean interjected, smoothing things over with a practiced smile. "Eva, no need to be so formal. We all grew up together. Helping each other is just what we do."
Eva's gaze lingered on Adrian's indifferent face. She forced a smile.
Adrian seemed completely blind to her disappointment. He led Sara past her and sat down without a backward glance.
But Sara knew better.
If he truly didn't care, he would have left the moment he saw her.
A woman's intuition screamed at her: Adrian still couldn't let go.
There was nothing she could do. She could only brace herself, sit beside him, and play the part.
As the night wore on, she heard someone ask Eva, "Now that you're back, are you leaving again?"
"Even if the outside world is wonderful, being alone is lonely in the end." Eva's words carried a weight meant for someone specific. "Unlike here, where I still have you friends."
"Then stay."
Several mutual friends chimed in, clearly trying to broker peace. "Back then, you pursued your career and insisted on going abroad. Now you're a world-famous pianist. Time to settle down, right? You're twenty-nine. If you don't consider marriage soon, you'll miss your chance."
Eva smiled, half-joking, half-serious. "I'd like to. I'm just afraid someone won't welcome it."
"Impossible. If you came back for good, everyone would be overjoyed."
The small talk flowed. The atmosphere livened up.
Naturally, the games began.
The room was full of the rich and noble, but the man at the apex of the pyramid was undoubtedly Adrian Harding.
No one dared prank Adrian.
Sara wasn't so lucky.
During the third round of Truth or Dare, the bottle spun and pointed directly at her.
Knowing she'd studied dance, someone immediately goaded her to perform on the spot, denying her the option to choose Truth.
Sara wasn't stupid. She heard the malice dripping beneath their smiles.
They were using the game to test her weight in Adrian's heart.
If he didn't step in to protect her, she had a dark premonition she would die a miserable social death tonight.
The room fell silent.
Every gaze shifted to Adrian, waiting for his reaction.
