As the evening unfolded, Steven’s business partners gravitated toward Ryan. Men in tailored suits. Easy smiles. Too-easy confidence. Some greeted Eve warmly, others studied her like a curiosity.
“You must be Eve,” one of the men said, offering his hand. “I’ve heard quite a lot about you.”
“All lies, I hope,” she replied calmly.
He chuckled. “On the contrary. It seems you have a talent for disappearing and then returning at exactly the right time.”
Ryan’s gaze sharpened. “Careful. That almost sounded like a compliment.”
The man lifted his glass. “It is.”
Another partner joined them, looking Eve over with open curiosity. “I was at your grandmother’s burial”, he said casually.
“I don’t remember seeing you.” Eve replied with a smile.
He frowned slightly. “You don’t remember?”
Ryan st
