a sling on his arm and

, had extinguished any lingering doubt,

ed her p

lowing week, her face etched with false conce

Don' t trouble yours

ed away, leaving h

out Sophia

en, her presence a small comfort he

ech conference they

said, "I ne

at reached her eyes. "You look like

uiet corner in

spen, just listened as he talked vaguely abo

m a funny story about a disastrous pr

," she said, her eyes sparkling, "dinner is o

ed. "Easy for you to say. Your father'

soon as they left his mout

sed an eyebr

y own trust fund. And I made a killing on some tech stocks last year. I

asygoing manner, was

ing, a genuine smile, fo

ut I' m paying. Consider it a than

e definitely getting the wine. Y

for dinner the

epare for the upcomi

reated by a reclusive digital artist, wa

c pretensions, fancied himself a collector, funded, of

play for the NFT, probably egge

e room buzzed with wealthy co

is side, spotted Izzy a

ck dress, Leo a carefully cultivate

ame up fo

de an op

a dramatic pause and a glanc

the room as if to gauge the competi

n, her expression

not to be played

coun

went. The price

opped out, leavi

who was clearly directing L

rosity, suddenly l

rrying across the hushed room. "You seem to want it

martyred expression, as if he

, then gave Ethan a look that

an make him give up anything f

ed. Ethan felt a

de to look like a rich bully out

id somethin

ed her o

"Leo deserves this. He has a true appreciation for

ificantly higher th

im, supporting Leo, and insu

ossip. People were loo

eing hum

ly' s reputation, being drag

Izzy' s face, Ethan made an outrageously high bid. The equivalent of the Chinese "lighting the sky

mentarily stunned,

m fell

ered for a second.

ly declared, banging the gav