The revelry of the banquet rolled on.

Vivienne sized up the man beside her, his usual distant demeanor still firmly in place.

Yet, he'd just taken her part in front of the whole crowd. She wasn't self-absorbed enough to think it was because he had a crush on her. In her view, it was probably her bet agreement that had caught Mr. K's eye.

From this perspective, Mr. K didn't seem as cold and heartless as everyone made him out to be.

Lost in thought, she didn't notice ...