Meanwhile, hidden behind a nearby pillar, someone else was watching. Ilyas stood partially concealed, his body angled just enough to keep himself out of direct sight, though his eyes were locked firmly on the group at the table.

His expression was anything but calm. His brows were drawn tightly together, and there was a storm brewing behind his gaze.

Ilyas had noticed Darcy the moment he entered the venue. There had been no way not to.

Darcy’s arrival had drawn attention almost instantly, like a quiet storm that everyone felt but no one could ignore. Even from across the hall, his presence stood out effortlessly, commanding attention without any obvious effort.

Ilyas’s eyes had been drawn to him before he even realised it. And once he started looking, he found that he could not look away.

It was not just him, either. Nearly everyone in the hall had reacted the same way. Conversations had softened, glances had lingered, and more than a few young women nearby had leaned toward one another, whispering behind their hands while stifling quiet giggles.

"He’s so handsome..."

"Is that really him?"

"I didn’t expect him to look like that..."

The murmurs drifted through the air, soft but persistent. Ilyas heard them all. And for some reason, each word made something in his chest feel heavier.

He sat there, unmoving, letting those thoughts settle into something darker. Something more uncomfortable. The last time he had seen Darcy... things had been different.

After that encounter at the apartment, Darcy had disappeared completely, as though he had simply slipped through his fingers without warning. There had been no messages, no follow-up, nothing.

Just silence. But even though Darcy had vanished from his life, he had not disappeared from his thoughts. Not even for a moment.

Ilyas had tried to bury himself in work, throwing all of his energy into anything that could distract him. Acting, screen reading, and costume fitting, he had taken on more than usual, hoping exhaustion would dull the constant presence of those thoughts.

It did not work. Every time his mind went quiet, it drifted back to that dark-haired, dark-eyed man, to the things he had said, to the way he had looked at him.

Even coming to this banquet tonight had not been an easy decision. For several nights in a row, Ilyas had gone back and forth in his mind, questioning whether it was a good idea. Whether it was worth the risk of seeing him again.

In the end... he still came. Because no matter how much he tried to convince himself otherwise, his heart had already made the decision for him. Now that he was here, though...

Darcy had not looked at him even once. Not even a passing glance. That realisation settled heavily in his chest.

Ilyas lowered his gaze, his earlier anticipation quietly giving way to disappointment.

Beside him, Yao Tianming had noticed the shift almost immediately. Ever attentive in his own way, he had started talking more than usual, sharing random stories and lighthearted anecdotes about past banquets in an obvious attempt to lift the mood.

It worked, at least a little. Ilyas found himself smiling faintly despite everything, playing along, letting himself be distracted.

But even then, he could not shake the feeling entirely. At one point, he thought he felt someone looking at him. The sensation was brief but distinct enough that he instinctively turned his head to search for the source.

There was nothing. Just the same crowd, the same movement, the same noise. The feeling vanished as quickly as it came.

A few minutes later, Yao Tianming had suggested going over to congratulate Micah. At that, Ilyas looked up and immediately spotted Darcy sitting right beside him.

His heart tightened. Almost instinctively, he took a small step back.

Yao Tianming had noticed immediately, confusion and concern flashing across his face.

Ilyas forced himself to steady his expression. He did not want to make things awkward. He did not want to worry him. So after a brief hesitation, he nodded and agreed.

Step by step, he followed Yao Tianming toward the table, his resolve hardening with each step.

He told himself it was fine. That it did not matter. That he could handle it. But when they got close, when it was time to actually step forward, his courage faltered.

At the last second, without even thinking, he slowed. Then stopped. And instead of stepping beside Yao Tianming, he instinctively retreated.

Now, however, that hesitation had turned into something far more volatile. Jealousy. The way Darcy was looking at Yao Tianming... it did not sit right with him. Not at all.

His fingers curled slowly into a tight fist at his side. "What is with that look?" he muttered bitterly. "Why is he staring at him like that?"

A sharp, uncomfortable thought crept into his mind. So it was all in his head? His chest tightened. Was he just imagining things before? Thinking that he... cared?

His jaw clenched. Then what was all of that for? He thought silently, frustration rising. Why did he hug him? Why did he listen to him? Why did he respect what he wanted?

The questions came one after another, each one sharper than the last. And now he just... switched his attention like this?

Ilyas exhaled slowly, but it did nothing to calm the burning sensation in his chest. His grip tightened further. He hated it. The feeling. The uncertainty. The jealousy that made no sense and yet refused to go away.

Then suddenly a hand landed on his back. "Ilyas? What are you doing over here?"

Ilyas flinched, startled, his entire body tensing before he turned around quickly.

"B-Big brother..." he said, his voice slightly unsteady.

Patric stood behind him, looking both curious and mildly amused.

"What are you staring at?" Patric asked, leaning slightly to peek past the pillar.

His gaze landed on Micah and Darcy’s table almost immediately. Understanding dawned on his face. "Oh," he said.

Then, without hesitation, he clapped a hand on Ilyas’s shoulder.

"Are you feeling shy or something?" he teased. "Come on. You can’t just hide here the whole night. I’ll help you out."

"Wait!" Ilyas started. But it was already too late.

Patric had grabbed him and was dragging him forward before he could properly resist. Within seconds, they were standing right beside the table.

"Young masters!" Patric greeted brightly, his voice full of enthusiasm.

Micah looked up and immediately smiled. "Chief Assistant Harper," he said, his tone teasing, "did my older sister finally let you go?" 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Patric scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Ah... young master Micah, please don’t put it like that," he said. "The vice director, no I mean your sister, was busy chatting with her friends, so I just stepped away for a bit."

Micah nodded knowingly. "Ah, so you got kicked out," he said casually.

Patric laughed nervously.

Beside him, Ilyas stood stiffly, clearly uncomfortable. "Young master Micah," he said, forcing a polite smile, "congratulations on your engagement."

Micah smiled warmly. "Thanks," he replied. "Where did you disappear to earlier? We were just talking about you."

Ilyas instinctively glanced at Darcy. The moment their eyes met, he froze. Darcy’s gaze was dark, unreadable, and far too intense. Ilyas quickly looked away.

"I... I ran into my brother," he said, the excuse slipping out quickly.

Yao Tianming immediately leaned closer, concern flashing across his face. "Brother Ilyas, you should’ve said something," he said. "You just disappeared like that. I was actually worried."

Ilyas nodded slightly. "Sorry, Xiao Ming" he murmured. "I didn’t mean to."

Yao Tianming smiled again, reaching out to grab his arm in a familiar, almost clingy manner. "It’s fine," he said lightly. "Just don’t do it again."

Ilyas’s expression softened slightly at that. He reached up and gently ruffled Yao Tianming’s hair. "Alright," he said quietly. "It won’t happen again."

Across from them, Darcy watched the interaction in silence. His expression darkened further.

Micah felt it again, that strange, chilling tension in the air. He rubbed the back of his neck unconsciously. But seeing Ilyas and Yao Tianming’s dynamic, he thought they suited each other well. Even though his earlier intention was to set them up with Darcy, if Ilyas could be happy with Xiao Ming and move past that stalker incident, it wouldn’t be such a bad outcome.

He leaned slightly toward Darcy, lowering his voice. "Don’t you think they look pretty good together?" he whispered.

Darcy’s response was immediate. "Not at all," he said through clenched teeth.

Micah blinked, caught off guard. "Huh?"

Before he could say anything else, Darcy pushed his chair back and stood up abruptly. "I’m going to check if Mum needs anything," he said shortly.

Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked away, his steps stiff.

Ilyas’s head snapped up instantly. His eyes followed Darcy’s retreating figure, something unsettled flickering across his face. For a moment, he looked completely lost.