Chapter Seventy One

Suzy rejoined the festivities, a crystal glass of wine in hand. The ballroom was a whirlwind of activity, the music filling the air with a seductive rhythm. Yet, Suzy found herself lost in thought. 

She watched Ryan from a distance, his figure a solitary beacon amidst the sea of guests. He moved through the crowd with an air of detachment, his face a mask of polite indifference. But Suzy could see the storm brewing beneath the surface, the tension in his clenched jaw, the hardness in his eyes. It was as if he were a fortress under siege, his guard up, his heart unreachable.

Where was the man who had held her in his arms, his eyes filled with a warmth that had sent shivers down her spine? The man who had made her feel safe, protected. Now, he was a stranger, a distant figure shrouded in an aura of aloofness.

She wondered what had happened in that study. Who was he talking to?