Grayson went over to Lilianna, leaned toward her with a blank expression.

"How did you get here?" The words were low enough that only Lilianna could hear them.

To the people nearby who were just talking to Lilianna, they thought that they were just exchanging greetings a little too closely. After all, it was a little too loud around Lilianna.

But Neville wasn’t near them, nor could he hear them. All that Neville could see was Grayson bending toward Lilianna.

Their faces were close enough that from this angle, from this distance, he could even imagine them kissing if not for the people next to them who didn’t have much of a reaction.

And that Lilianna showed Grayson a different smile than the one she had shown Sarah or Iris.

This one was slower, softer, blooming across her features like a flower opening under warm light.

She then turned her head, ever so slightly, to whisper something back to Grayson.

Then, her gaze quickly slid sideways—

And landed directly on Neville.

The look lasted less than a second. The kind of thing that could easily be dismissed as a coincidence.

But the faint blush that rose on Lilianna’s cheeks as she turned back to Grayson.

The soft, almost shy way she ducked her head closer to him spoke of something.

Mine, not yours.

As if to confirm his guess, Lilianna glanced his way once more, and her eyes seemed to glint in the sunset.

Neville’s chest tightened, and he was annoyed.

He knew it was just a petty provocation. A deliberate play designed to shake his feelings and his relationship with Grayson.

He knew all that, but it didn’t stop the tightness in his chest from suffocating him.

Because the realization that followed was worse than the provocation itself.

He realized that without Grayson standing beside him, Neville would be completely alone in this room.

These were Grayson’s people.

Grayson’s friends.

Grayson’s colleagues.

Grayson’s world.

But even Sarah and Iris, whom he considered his own friends, had hurried over to Lilianna’s side like it was natural to do so.

Julius, who had been a little too quiet most of the time, had also moved closer to Lilianna. He was joining in the conversation.

Bryan, who had been the closest to him right now, had moved to Helena’s side. They seemed to be talking about something serious.

Neville stood at the edge of it all, doing nothing, next to no one.

Like, he didn’t fit in there.

It was kind of lonely when you think about it. But it was just a natural choice for him at this point.

He could never bear himself to get close to someone he couldn’t get along with unless he needed to take that specific person down.

In this instance, he couldn’t get along with Lilianna.

Sitting near the entrance to the game area, Bryan’s expression had darkened.

He stood shoulder to shoulder with Helena. Both of them angled away from the main group like two friends having a quiet side conversation.

Bryan’s eyes looked sharply at Helena.

"Is this—," he murmured, his voice barely above a breath. "Is this what you were about to whisper to me earlier?"

Helena gave a small, inconspicuous nod.

Bryan pulled his hair back from his forehead with one hand. His other hand turned on his light brain.

"Act normal," he said, still in that low, controlled murmur. "Don’t make it obvious."

Helena turned her head just enough to show him a flat, unamused stare, containing a quiet disdain.

"Do I look like someone who needs that kind of instruction?"

Bryan held her gaze for a second, then exhaled through his nose.

Fair enough.

Bryan pulled up his light brain’s encrypted channel. He composed a brief, coded message and sent it to Colonel Vane.

The message was short: Missing Person appeared in the main hall. Unknown Intentions. Maintain Casual Demeanor. Await Further Instructions.

He sent it, closed the channel, and turned his attention back to the room. His smiling poker face slid into place as nothing happened.

Across the room, Sarah was introducing Iris to some of Lilianna’s more embarrassing childhood habits.

Lilianna was protesting with the kind of theatrical dismay that made everyone laugh.

Julius stood nearby, smiling along, his posture relaxed as he put his right hand within easy reach of the concealed sidearm he carried.

Meanwhile, Pete and Chronos had been watching everything.

Chronos stood with his back against the wall, one ankle crossed over the other, the picture of languid indifference.

His expression betrayed nothing. But his golden eyes moved with the quick, darting precision as he read the room as fast as he could.

One moment, he would track Helena’s conversation with Bryan. Then next, he noted Julius’s repositioning. Afterwards, Grayson would chime in on whatever Lilianna was talking about.

Of course, he wouldn’t miss Neville, who was left alone.

Neville faded back toward the bar until he was standing by himself near the rows of bottles that gleamed under the bar’s lighting.

Chronos nudged Pete with his elbow without looking at him.

"Go check on him."

Pete glanced over. He had already noticed Neville since he was watching the whole thing with Chronos, too.

But having it pointed out by Chronos made him a little annoyed.

After all, at the end of the day, Neville was still an omega like Chronos. How could he let his alpha be with another omega?

"Why me?" Pete asked, though he was already preparing to stand. He was really a pushover when it came to his omega.

"Because Helena’s alone over there," Chronos said, his gaze drifting to Helena.

Helena was now standing by herself near the sofas with an expression that suggested she was deciding whether to join the Lilianna welcome committee or go find something stronger to drink.

Chronos continued, "And I look less suspicious checking on a general than on someone’s boyfriend."

And he wasn’t?!

Pete complained in his mind, but when he wanted to say it out loud, he couldn’t. Arguing over these little things wasn’t worth it.

He crossed the room, and he could see Neville standing behind the bar, studying the row of bottles. He seemed to be trying very hard not to look like he was avoiding looking at something else.

"Hey." Pete calmly called as he came around the side of the bar, leaning against it with one elbow. "Don’t mind all that."