What Game Do You Think Kiara Was Playing?

"Oh, don't worry about me, I'm good! I'll just head upstairs, grab a drink, and I'll be set. You go ahead and enjoy yourself, don't let me hold you back!"

"You're suddenly not in the mood for fun? You're acting just like Kiara, what's going on with you too?" Kayla asked, her tone playful but insightful, as she was well aware of the underlying dynamics. She had, in fact, intentionally orchestrated this situation to get to the bottom of her observations - specifically, the unspoken feelings between Kiara and Darren, and Nolan's secret crush on Kiara, which Kiara seemed oblivious to.

"Nothing is wrong, I only came to help out with the game, remember?"

Meanwhile, Darren's attention was drawn to Kiara's departure, and he promptly requested that they pause the game, his gaze lingering on the spot where she had just exited.

"We were so close to crossing the finish line, what made you call a halt to the game just when we were about to win?" Lora queried.