After Ephyra left, the hall was completely silent as there was nothing to be said. People glanced at each other, while some stared at the people on the stage and the duo below in disgust.
A murmur rippled through the crowd as the spell of silence finally broke, though no one dared to raise their voice too loudly. Those who had once stood beside Marianna, Myra, and Alan in their schemes now took deliberate steps away, as though proximity to them might taint their reputations further.
Below the stage, Marianna struggled to stand up, her tear-streaked face a mask of humiliation and fear. She reached out toward Eliot, her voice trembling. "Eliot, you can't just let her leave like that! She's ruining everything!"
Eliot, still stunned by Ephyra's parting words, clenched his jaw and harshly tugged her hand off. "If you speak one more word, I swear I'm going to make you regret ever knowing me."