The air in the hall was thick with tension. The laughter and taunts still echoed, but the moment Raymond rose from his seat, a hush followed.
He wasn't rushed. He wasn't panicked.
Instead, he moved with measured composure, straightening his suit before placing one hand casually into his pocket.
The shift was subtle, but immediate.
The way he carried himself—calm, deliberate, entirely unshaken—made the people around him pause.
Even Damien, who had been grinning with arrogance moments ago, stiffened slightly.
At that moment Valentina's curiosity deepened.
She could feel the shift.
The control was slipping from Damien's grasp, and Raymond hadn't even spoken yet.
Finally, Raymond turned to face him.
He didn't need to raise his voice. His words were measured, sharp, carrying enough weight to slice through the tension in the room.
"You talk too much, Damien."
Immediately a murmur swept through the crowd.
Damien blinked. The casual dismissal in Raymond's tone stung.
