23

23

Ethan

I watched Riley's every move with a mix of curiosity and unease. His sudden departure from my arms left me standing alone on the dance floor, his absence like an echo I couldn’t ignore. He moved toward the MC with deliberate strides, his posture confident and his intentions completely veiled as a magician’s trick.

“What the hell is he up to now?” I muttered under my breath, my eyes glued to him as he leaned in to whisper something to the MC.

The man’s brow furrowed at first, clearly taken aback by whatever Riley had said. But then Riley smiled—a mischievous, almost devilish grin that had me gripping the edge of my glass tighter. He said something else, his tone light but insistent, and, to my utter confusion, the MC’s cheeks flushed. He actually *blushed* before nodding and breaking into a grin himself.

What on earth did Riley say to make the MC blush?

“What is he saying to him?” a voice murmured beside me. I turned slightly to see a woman in a sequined dress, her eyes al