AFTER the program finished recording, Astrid made a point to thank the host and all the staff members. Of course, he also knew he needed to speak briefly with Valentine. It would have been disrespectful to just leave, especially given the other's seniority.
He was about to walk over to Valentine, but he saw the other was still talking with the show's director. So, he stayed where he was with Ellis and waited for them to finish their conversation.
As they waited, he found himself glancing over at Valentine. He had been so focused during the recording that he had not noticed a crucial fact at the time. Only now, after it was all over, did he realize Valentine had not tried any underhanded tricks during the entire show. He was not complaining about that, of course. It was definitely better to have no drama. But it made him wonder what Valentine's real reason was for wanting to appear on the same program with him.
