If he couldn’t feel that the situation was really that serious, Neville would’ve found it funny and tried to argue hard that they would go months in silence.

Alas, the situation seemed to be that bad for Grayson to go hard on this acting streak.

Neville held Grayson’s gaze for two full seconds, letting every ounce of displeasure show in his expression before he looked away.

I understand what you need, he said with that look. I’ll do it. But you will not hear the end of this from me.

Before Lilianna could change her expression for her next act, Neville could already see her gearing up for something

—but the estate’s entrance suddenly opened.

Two figures walked in, already mid-conversation.

Thiago Miranda, the doctor who tended to Grayson when he was unconscious and Grayson’s brother-in-law, came in first.

His tall frame walked in with this easy and unhurried confidence despite the obvious dark circles threatening to tint under his eyes from long hours of work. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Colonel Riley Vane walked in and quickly caught up to walk beside him. Due to his casual attire and with most of the people here having served the military like him, it wasn’t odd that his stance was a little rigid.

As soon as they saw eye to eye, they were already talking in hush tones that no one could hear other than them.

But, both of them stopped at the same time when they saw Lilianna.

No—that wasn’t right.

They didn’t stop because they were surprised.

They stopped because they weren’t.

Their expressions were almost similar to how cool they looked at Lilianna.

Neville thought that Grayson and his friends were really similar to each other. They knew how to have fun together, but before all that, they would make the atmosphere turn cold first and gradually warm up in time.

Although he didn’t have the full context, he knew that Thiago and Colonel Vane must have known something that Grayson knew. And they must’ve been thinking the same thing as Grayson.

Neville added that to the growing list of things Grayson hadn’t told him.

This is really getting annoying.

Before Thiago and Colonel Vane could fully proceed into the living area, a third figure shot through the entrance like a comet.

A shorter man, even shorter than Neville, burst in energetically.

Neville had seen that man in the news before. It was Ciel Erskine Marchesi and was noted as Grayson’s younger cousin by the system.

Ciel was dressed in an outfit that sparkled so aggressively it practically hurt his eyes to look.

His jacket seemed to be made of some rainbow neon material that changed between teal and silver with every movement.

His boots had actual shining gem accents that caught the light and scattered tiny rainbows across the floor.

Ciel paused in the entrance, obviously expecting the room to turn all of their attention to him.

He spread his hands wide, chin lifted, as if to say Yes, I have arrived, and yes, I look incredible, you may now react accordingly.

When nobody immediately showered him with applause that he clearly deserved, nor some commotion like usual, he decided to slightly open his eyes.

Looking at the people who stayed in their place without much of a reaction, he let his eyes sweep the room.

From the sofas, the holographic display, the game area, the bar—

And finally landed on Lilianna.

Ciel’s jaw dropped open in real time, and his body froze.

His hands, now half-spread in their grand-entrance pose, gradually lowered. His eyes went so wide that the sparkle from his outfit reflected in them.

He inhaled sharply, mouth already forming the shape. It seemed that he was about to scream very loudly.

—When two hands clamped down on him at the same time.

Thiago’s palm sealed over Ciel’s mouth from the left.

Julius, who was chatting with Iris and Sarah with Helena on the side, somehow managed to appear beside Ciel quickly. He also grabbed Ciel’s arm from the right.

Ciel’s eyes bulged above Thiago’s hand.

Muffled sounds—protests, probably—vibrated against Thiago’s fingers.

Thiago didn’t blink.

Julius didn’t let go.

Both of them stared at Ciel with a fixed, intense look in their eyes.

Ciel’s muffled protests escalated, struggling out of his friend’s clutches. It took some time, but he managed to realize that there was no way out of this.

Either he tried to struggle some more in panic or tried to calm himself down.

Both of his friends stares crushed him into silence.

Eventually, his shoulders sagged. His eyes, still wide, darted between Thiago and Julius with panicked confusion.

Neville watched the comical exchange of a small, sparkly animal being subdued by its pack elders with detached interest.

So this Ciel knew something and hadn’t expected Lilianna to actually show up, too.

Neville did the math.

Aside from himself, Iris, and probably Sarah—every single person in Grayson’s inner circle already knew that Lilianna wasn’t supposed to be here.

Neville looked at Grayson.

Grayson was already looking at him.

Their eyes met, and Grayson offered a slight nod. Not an apology, but an acknowledgment.

Neville’s jaw tightened, and he lifted his glass without drinking.

Alas, he was here to have fun and meet new people, but he ended up being squeezed into this weird situation.

He sighed and put his glass down onto the table with a quiet clink.

Pete swept the glass away before Neville could change his mind. It vanished behind the bar and was replaced by a tall glass of something fizzy and definitely non-alcoholic drink without making eye contact.

Neville pressed his lips together, and the displeasure radiated off him again, but more intensely this time.

Grayson, who had either developed the ability to read minds or just sensed the danger, didn’t push his luck.

Instead, he moved his arm to Neville’s shoulder. The weight settled there—warm, solid, to give comfort.

Neville didn’t shrug it off.

But, he didn’t lean on him, either.

But still, he didn’t shrug it off.

In other words, be satisfied.