"What an adorable boy!"

"Am I allowed to pinch his cheeks?"

"Oh, please, ladies. Give him a break."

The ladies flocked around Primo, showering him with attention. Yet Primo wasn’t the least bit intimidated, even though this was the first official event he had attended with both Lucian and Ashley.

Lucian had never taken Primo to social gatherings before, for obvious reasons.

But this event celebrated a business Ashley had built legitimately—one that had nothing to do with Dominion.

And since Ashley was the most important person of the night, Primo stayed with Liza and Shyaan, who happily introduced him to every lady in their circle.

[Thank you.]

Then he offered them a small smile.

Somehow, that tiny smile alone made the older ladies gasp dramatically while the younger women squealed.

"You’re such a cutie~!"

Liza chuckled as she watched Primo interact with everyone so naturally.

If anything, she felt proud that Primo could even handle Shyaan.

Turning her head, she searched for Ashley.

She wasn’t hard to find.

Ashley was the center of tonight’s event, greeting one guest after another. She had greeted Liza, Tommy, and Shyaan first before making her way to Ramirez, who was currently chatting with Lucian and Tommy.

Ashley glanced toward their group, her gaze settling on Primo.

"He’s alright," Liza mouthed slowly, giving Ashley a wink. "Don’t worry about your boy."

Ashley smiled after reading her lips and nodded before returning her attention to the guests around her.

The smile remained on her face. It simply didn’t reach her eyes.

At some point, Ashley had unknowingly mastered a skill she never possessed in her previous life—

The ability to smile through conversations wrapped in elegance but filled with utter nonsense.

"By the way, I’d like to introduce you to my brother," one of the ladies said, pulling a man into their circle.

"My name is Alan," he said, extending his hand with a charming smile. "I’ve heard a lot about Project Green. It was very impressive."

Ashley accepted the handshake with a polite smile.

"Thank you. I’d say the same about you," she replied. "I’ve heard your new business venture has been quite successful..."

While Ashley expanded her network, two pairs of eyes never left her.

Lucian barely smiled at whatever story Ramirez was telling.

His attention remained fixed on one person.

Ashley.

He wasn’t worried about Primo. He knew his son was doing everything he could to make his mother proud.

Lucian appeared calm. Yet the veins along his temple and jaw stood out as his grip around his glass tightened.

His eyes glinted dangerously as he watched the man who had joined Ashley’s group.

Standing beside him, Tommy snorted.

"Isn’t he smiling at a married woman a little too much?"

"And staring," Lucian added flatly. "For far too long."

Ever since Alan had been introduced to Ashley, his eyes had never left her.

The man’s interest wasn’t subtle. He wasn’t even trying to hide it.

"Control it," Tommy muttered, leaning closer. "If you don’t, you’ll regret it."

Lucian exhaled through gritted teeth. "I am trying."

"Good." Tommy nodded.

He had stood exactly where Lucian was now in the past.

Even today, Tommy was still the same.

The only difference was that Liza had long been surrounded by familiar faces. He no longer had a reason to shadow her every step.

"Does this ever get better?" Lucian asked quietly.

Instead of answering, Tommy gestured toward Liza.

"Look at your aunt for a second."

Lucian followed his gaze.

Liza was laughing happily with Shyaan and the other ladies while Primo entertained them all. Tommy had no idea what the boy was doing to keep everyone so captivated, but one thing was certain—

Primo would grow up incredibly popular with women.

Tommy looked back at Lucian.

"Do you think I’d be calmer if there were a new man standing beside her?" His face soured. "If some unfamiliar man approached her, I wouldn’t even be standing here."

"I’d already be glued to her side," he huffed. "And if I couldn’t... I’d drag him away under the excuse of making a new friend."

Lucian nodded sincerely, mentally committing every word to memory.

Everything Tommy said matched exactly how he felt.

It was as though Tommy had read him like an open book.

But as Lucian continued listening, a strange feeling crept into his chest.

Movement caught the corner of his eye.

His gaze shifted away from Tommy and returned to Ashley.

His eyes narrowed, and his expression darkened.

Two people had just approached her.

Isabella.

And...

June.

"Hmm?" Tommy noticed the change in Lucian’s face. When he followed his gaze, the lines on his forehead deepened.

Several thoughts crossed his mind before he reached a conclusion.

"That man..." Tommy began before glancing at Lucian. "Is he—"

In Tommy’s mind, June was probably Ashley’s former lover.

Though that seemed odd.

Ashley didn’t strike him as someone who would invite an ex without telling Lucian beforehand.

Nor did Lucian seem like the type of husband who paid so little attention to his wife.

Before Tommy could finish his thought, Lucian answered.

"No," he never looked away from Ashley. "He’s just a friend... or so he claims."

"And no," he added. "He shouldn’t be here."

Just as Tommy had suspected, Lucian already knew the guest list.

Ashley had shown it to him beforehand.

Tommy frowned and looked back toward Ashley.

"Then how did he get in?"

*****

"Who is that?"

Shyaan, who had been busy asking Primo question after question to test the limits of the boy’s intelligence, suddenly paused.

Liza’s question drew everyone’s attention.

The ladies—and even Primo—turned to look.

When Liza’s eyes landed on Isabella, she tilted her head.

"She looks familiar," she murmured.

Shyaan arched a brow. "You know her?"

Liza slowly shook her head.

"I’m not sure," she hummed, studying Isabella. "But she looks... familiar. I wonder where I’ve seen her."

Shyaan snorted. Her reaction immediately caught Liza’s attention.

"Liz," Shyaan began knowingly, "remember what I told you during my charity event?"

It took Liza a moment. Then realization dawned on her face.

Shyaan nodded.

"That’s her." She shifted her gaze back to Isabella. "She was there with her mother."

"The young lady I told every one of my clients never to do business with."