Chapter 105

The rest of the luncheon carried on in a predictable swirl of shallow conversations and forced laughter.

Despite Gabriel's earlier theatrics, I felt a strange sense of satisfaction. It wasn't every day you got to put a man like him in his place.

The event organizers called for everyone to settle into their seats, and I found myself at a table near the back, away from most of the commotion. The clinking of cutlery and hushed chatter filled the room as a string quartet played softly in the background.

Each course arrived like clockwork—a delicate appetizer of smoked salmon and caviar, followed by a creamy soup served in ornate porcelain bowls. I barely touched the food, my appetite dulled by the adrenaline still coursing through me. Instead, I sipped on my sparkling water and watched the crowd.