Hadley looked curious. “Don’t you have other duties? You don’t have to worry about us.”

“There’s plenty of help over there. My younger cousin Nelson is managing things—he’s Colleen’s biological brother, by the way.”

Zane smiled. “Colleen asked me to look after you guys tonight, and I plan to do it right.”

It was lucky that Zane knew them; otherwise, managing everything tonight would have been a challenge.

He turned to Hadley with a warm smile. “May I stay now?” he asked.

They hadn’t spoken or seen each other since that last shared meal.

Hadley felt a flicker of awkwardness at the question but quickly regained her composure and smiled. “Of course.”

As they approached the table, Zane pulled out a chair for Hadley. “Sit here.”

Across from them, Brady mirrored the gesture, pulling out a chair for Elissa. The two men ended up seated on either side of the women, quietly forming a protective frame around them.

In contrast to Zane’s calm and collected demeanor, Hadley felt uncomfortably self-conscious. She let out a soft laugh, gave a polite nod, and murmured, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

That brief exchange of smiles swept away the last traces of awkwardness between them.

“Here, have some water.” Zane reached for the pitcher and poured lemon water into their glasses. “It’s lemon water.”

“Thank you.”

Hadley smiled gently as she lifted her glass.

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For a fleeting moment, she felt the weight of someone’s stare. She glanced up—and it wasn’t just her imagination.

At her ten o’clock, Eric sat, his gaze locked steadily on her.

As usual, he wasn’t alone. Megan clung possessively to his arm, her face tilted toward his as she spoke, lips moving with words Hadley couldn’t quite catch.

“Huh?” Elissa had spotted Eric as well. She leaned in and whispered, “He’s here too.”

“Mm.” Hadley nodded. “Ernest was invited, so of course Eric’s on the list too.”

It wasn’t surprising—they ran in the same social circles.

“The woman next to him…” Elissa frowned as recognition struck. “Isn’t that Megan? Why is she still clinging to him?”

Hadley took a sip of water. “Well, everyone’s free to chase whoever they like, I suppose.”

“True…” Elissa’s voice trailed off. “But…”

She had more to say, but the banquet had officially begun.

Servants rolled in carts, setting plates at every table with practiced grace.

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