The women in the lounge began whispering the moment Theodore Pierce appeared at the door. He paused only for a heartbeat, eyes sweeping the room.
Some straightened their posture.
Some adjusted their hair or clothes.
Others offered polite, shy smiles.
Their eyes widened, glances flicking between one another as he strode straight to the woman at the center of the chaos.
"Is he really someone to that woman?"
The whispers shifted into a different kind of buzz.
Those bubbling with jealousy started murmuring about boundaries and rules.
Theo felt relieved that Lyra wasn't the one who had fainted. He crouched until he was eye to eye with her.
"Hey… what's going on?" he asked, worry in his voice. "You look pale."
"Oh, you're here."
She blinked rapidly, fighting tears—holding her emotions hostage.
"Please do something—I want to leave this mess immediately," she managed to say, unable to explain anything more.
