Don and Charles returned to the main gathering area, their reappearance drawing a few curious glances from those nearby.
No one was bold enough to ask outright what had transpired, but the shift in Bertram's behavior had not gone unnoticed.
The young man now sat quietly in a corner, staring at his phone with unusual focus, no longer slurring words or bothering anyone.
He looked almost sober, fingers moving rapidly as if deleting something with frantic urgency.
Miss Claire was among those who noticed. Her gaze flicked their way for the briefest moment, but her expression remained perfectly composed as she continued networking, as though nothing out of the ordinary had occurred.
Don wondered how many others had picked up on the change yet chose to play it cool. High society thrived on selective blindness.
Time passed in a steady flow of conversations and shifting groups until the members of the new governing board stepped out for the press briefing.
