Chapter 72

In the blink of an eye, every trace of grievance, fear,and unease on Eliana's face melted away, leaving behind the cool, composed expression she wore so naturally.

Doran, too honest to mask his reaction, blinked in shock and blurted out, "Wait, were you acting this whole time?"

Without a hint of hesitation,Eliana replied,"Yes.Every bit of it was an act."

"Then I've got to hand it to you-your acting's first-rate." Doran fumbled for words, needing a moment before that line finally came out.

That remark made Eliana lift a brow in mild surprise.

From what she'd seen, she'd assumed everyone working under Tristan was shrewd and calculating.Doran,however,seemed built of simpler stuff.

Before she could say more, the door swung open and Tristan stepped inside.

His expression revealed nothing,his voice even as he said, "Doran, you can go now."

"Got it!" Doran replied quickly, slipping out and pulling the door shut behind him.

Spotting Rocco on guard outside, Doran grabbed his arm and whispered urgently, "You won't believe this -Ms. Murray was pretending just now!"

"You're only figuring that out now?" Rocco's reply was flat.

"Hold on..." Doran scratched at his head. "You knew the whole time?"

Rocco gave a slow nod.

A wave of frustration hit Doran. "Don't tell me I'm the only one who didn't catch on?"

Another calm nod from Rocco, followed by a firm pat on Doran's shoulder. "Relax. I'll set you up with an appointment at the top brain clinic in Qidence."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Doran asked, his brows knitting.

"Take a wild guess." Rocco's lips curved into a knowing smirk.

It took Doran a long moment to piece it together,only to realize Rocco was calling him dense enough to actually need that brain check-up.

The insult lit a spark of defiance in him, and for a second, he considered throwing down a challenge right then and there.

"Cut it out before Mr. Pearson hears us. I'm not about to disturb whatever's going on inside," Rocco murmured.

The warning was enough to make Doranswallow his pride,though the sting of humiliation lingered.

After a pause, another thought crept in. He frowned and asked, "Be honest, Rocco-don't you think Ms.Murray is a little too scheming? Can we really trust her around Mr.Pearson?"

Rocco didn't even hesitate. "Why not? He can read people better than anyone. If anything, a woman with brains suits him far more than a foolish one."

Pressing his lips into a thin line, Doran muttered, "If we're talking about that, then I'd say Colleen is also-"

"Stop. Don't bring her up, especially when Ms.Murray's around," Rocco said firmly.

"What's there to worry about? It's not like she can hear us... and I do think Colleen's amazing too," Doran insisted. One sharp look from Rocco was all it took for him to clamp his mouth shut.

Meanwhile, inside the room, the door had barely closed before Tristan got straight to business. "The issue you asked me to handle is resolved. Rupert's agreed to step away from the case entirely."

Eliana took it in without surprise. She'd always known he was perceptive enough to catch her meaning without needing to spell it out.

She nodded. "I appreciate it."

"Let me see your hand," Tristan said suddenly,his voice leaving little room for refusal.

Lifting both hands in mild confusion, Eliana asked,"What's the matter?"

Instead of answering, he reached for her left hand,turning it over in his grasp as if searching for something specific.

Her brows drew together. "What exactly are you checking for?"

"You were splashed with coffee, weren't you?" Tristan asked. The question caught Eliana off guard."Wait-you didn't realize I was faking?"

"Even so, the coffee still hit your skin," Tristan replied,unmoved.

"It wasn't boiling-barely warm, really," she explained.

He ignored the explanation, his eyes scanning her hand with meticulous care. Only after making sure there was no sign of injury did he finally release her.

"Next time you pull something like that, make sure it doesn't actually put you in harm's way. Got it?" His voice carried an unshakable sincerity.

The seriousness in his expression unsettled Eliana more than she cared to admit. She cleared her throat lightly and said, "Alright, I get it... But tell me, will this whole situation end up causing trouble for you?"

Tristan's gaze sharpened. "And which situation do you mean?"

"Mayor Oliver backed down from my father's case,but I'm worried he'll come after you the first chance he gets," Eliana explained

Tristan looked at her intently, the anticipation in his eyes evident. "So, you're concerned about me?" he asked. "Naturally. I don't like dragging other people into my mess," Eliana replied without hesitation.

That answer didn't seem to satisfy him. "If I cared about being dragged in, I never would've played along in the first place," he said with an easy shrug. "Right now, you should be more focused on yourself. Thanks to me, you've got Celine gunning for you, and she's not the forgiving type."

"You think I'm the sort who worries about payback?"Eliana replied with an easy smile.

A faint smile tugged at his lips. "Exactly. Neither of us scares easily, so there's no need for either of us to worry."

"You'd better remember you said that. If things get messy for you, you can't pin it on me," Eliana replied without hesitation.

"I wouldn't blame you-no matter how things turn out,"he said with quiet certainty.

Something in his tone struck her as oddly off.

Looking away, she asked, "You only brought me here as your date to keep Celine at bay, right? Now that you've done that, can I go?"

"Leaving already? I thought you still had another performance lined up," Tristan replied.

Eliana's brows knit in confusion. "Performance? What are you talking about?"

"On my way here, Rocco told me Carl was spotted at the entrance," Tristan explained. "I assume you're the one who called him over."

That reminder hit her like a jolt-Eliana had almost forgotten her original goal of digging into what Leyla had been doing in Carl's room.

If Tristan hadn't brought it up, she might have forgotten entirely.

"Is Carl still waiting outside?" she asked quickly.

"I had someone take him to the conference area,"Tristan replied.

"Then I'll go see him," Eliana said without hesitation.

"Let me come with you," Tristan suggested immediately.

"You don't have to. You've got your own affairs to handle," Eliana rejected, moving to the door and slipping out.

Just outside, Rocco gave Tristan a questioning glance,silently asking if he should shadow her. A small shake of Tristan's head gave his answer.

If Eliana didn't want him following her, he had no intention of forcing it.

He felt certain that with her about to make her move,the entertainment was only moments away.

Over in the main exhibition hall, Leyla had been lingering expectantly for Hector, though he was nowhere in sight.

Just as she began to suspect he might skip the event entirely, his figure emerged from the direction of the conference area.

Dressed in a pristine white tailcoat, Hector carried himself like a man born to refinement, hispresence drawing more than a few admiring glances from nearby women.

An instinctive unease settled over Leyla.

While he could never rival Tristan in her mind, Hector still far outshone the typical rich young man. A man like him-handsome,well-connected,and wealthy-was a prize few would ignore, and she had no intention of letting another woman get to him first.

With practiced precision, she smoothed her hair,double-checked her makeup, and swept toward him. At that moment, Hector was speaking into his phone,recounting to Jeffry what had taken place in the private room earlier.

Jeffry's tone sharpened with surprise. "Eliana Murray again? And what exactly is she to Tristan?"

"He said she's his fiancée," Hector answered flatly.

"Fiancée?" Jeffry repeated, startled. "It's lucky we made it clear to the Murray family that day-that there's no enmity between us anymore. Otherwise,this would've been a real mess."

Hector kept his response to himself.

His dislike for the Murray family-especially Eliana-ran deep, and it all stemmed from Leyla.

Jeffry continued, "From now on, keep your distance from Leyla. The Murrays aren't exactly fond of her these days."

"I-"Hector began, but his words faltered the instant he spotted Leyla heading his way from across the room.