Chapter 23

The moment Claire's words fell, the hall seemed to tilt against Marina. A faint, collective murmur rippled through the surrounding guests, like the soft crash of distant waves. Some concealed their amusement behind polite smiles; others didn't bother to hide it—eyebrows lifted, lips curling, eyes darting from Marina to David and back again. The sting of humiliation was sharp, metallic, and she could feel it searing her skin. Her manicured fingers tightened around her clutch until her knuckles paled. She'd been in the game long enough to endure polite rejection, but public embarrassment—this was different. Claire's refusal wasn't merely a "no." It was a rejection with an audience, and an implication that her worth was tainted. Marina's gaze flicked to David for rescue, but his face was unreadable, lips pressed in a thin line, hands resting loosely in his pockets as if the ridicule floating in the air had nothing to do with him. That stung even more. By the time the laughter had fully eb