Chapter 68

Eliana was startled by Tristan's sudden comment.

But then, she relaxed when she realized he was only talking about her paintings. "Thank you," she said simply.

"Honestly, I never imagined Riley could be a woman.Even more surprising-you're Riley," Tristan remarked.

Eliana shrugged. "Painting's just a hobby. I've never really mentioned it to anyone."

If Frieda's stunt today hadn't happened, she wouldn't have revealed her identity at all.

"But who taught you to paint?" Tristan asked, curious.

Eliana gave him a sideways glance. "You seem to enjoy digging into people's backgrounds."

"Just curious," he replied easily.

"Curiosity killed the cat. Haven't you heard of the old saying?" Eliana asked.

"Fortunately, I'm not a cat," he said with a smirk

She let that one go. There were things she didn't plan on telling anyone-not

even Seth or Kathy-like who her mentor was.

Some secrets were better kept to herself. If it was made public, she could be considered a freak.

So she changed the subject. "Where exactly are we going?"

They had already left the main conference area,walking down a quieter corridor lined with closed doors. The carpet beneath their feet was thick,patterned in intricate swirls.

Although Eliana had designed the building, it was her first time visiting it.

Tristan stopped and looked at her. "To help me out-as my companion," he said casually.

Her brow furrowed. "What does that mean?"

"There are plenty of guests here today, but the ones who really matter are in this area. I need you to fend someone off for me."

"I'm still not following."

"You'll understand soon enough. When the time comes, just play along," he said as he stopped in front of a door.

He pushed open the door.

With a soft click, the door swung open.

Eliana looked up and found herself staring into a spacious living room, light streaming in from a massive floor-to-ceiling window. Well-dressed men and women clustered in small groups, chatting over drinks.

Out of all the faces,she recognized only one-Hector,Leyla's boyfriend.

Judging by the way he was running around with a coffee pot,his standing here wasn't all that impressive.

"The coffee beans here aren't a the best," Hector said with a respectful smile as he handed a cup to a middle -aged man. "Mayor Oliver, since you enjoy coffee, I'll invite you and your daughter to Galaxy Café sometime.They have a much better brew."

Rupert nodded politely. "Sure. I've heard of that place,but never been there. I'm swamped with a critical case right now-no time to slip away."

Hector's brows lifted. "Is this case tied to the previous mayor?"

He was clearly hinting at Sheldon Torres. That scandal even implicated Louis. Rupert ignored him, turning instead to a short-haired young woman at his side. "Celine, if you're free, go have coffee with Hector. If it's good, bring back some beans for me."

Celine nodded eagerly. "Alright, Dad."

Just then, the door opened wider and Tristan stepped in with Eliana.

Their arrival drew every eye in the room.

Celine Oliver's eyes lit up at the sight of Tristan-until she noticed Eliana beside him. Her expression tightened instantly.

"Tristan, you're finally here," a man near the door said with a smile, walking over. "I heard there was a commotion outside. What happened?"

"Just a misunderstanding. It's handled," Tristan replied smoothly.

"That's good. We were about to come check." The man appeared relieved.

"No need. Really, it was nothing."

The man's eyes shifted to Eliana. "And this is..."

Before she could answer, Tristan slipped his hand into hers. "This is my fiancée, Eliana Murray." Eliana's first instinct was to pull back, but Tristan's grip only tightened, leaving her no choice but to play along.

She shot him a quick look, catching on to whatever game he was playing.

Suppressing a sigh, she decided to play along.

She owed him, after all. There was no way out of it.

The man's brows rose in surprise.

But he quickly regained his composure and greeted Eliana warmly, "Pleasure to meet you, Ms. Murray.Tristan's mentioned a fiancée before, but we didn't believe him. Now I see why he locked it down so early -if I were him, I'd have done the same. You're such a beauty."

Eliana forced a polite smile, about to respond when Tristan's voice cut in-cool and sharp. "Mr. Miller,you're pushing fifty. Maybe skip those kinds of jokes."

The jab was veiled in humor, but the chill underneath was unmistakable.

Percy Miller's smile faltered. He opened his mouth to explain,but Tristan was already steering Eliana toward Rupert. "Mayor Oliver,let me introduce-"

"I heard. No need to repeat," Rupert interrupted,his tone frosty.

Beside him, Celine's face had gone pale.

Eliana didn't need an explanation.

When Tristan said he needed her help, she thought it might be something serious.

Turns out, she was here to block his admirer. He could've warned her.

Her irritation spiked. She dug her nails into his hand,hard.

Tristan didn't so much as flinch,still wearing that calm,unbothered smile.

"That's not right. Introductions should be done properly. This is my fiancée, Eliana Murray. Eliana, this is Mayor Rupert Oliver."

Eliana wasn't the type to butter up someone who clearly disliked her-not even for show.

She gave a brief nod. "Hello."

Rupert's expression darkened further. Sensing the tension, others hurried to change the subject,drawing Rupert into safer conversation.

Tristan guided Eliana to an empty chair and poured her a cup of coffee himself. "Sit. Have some coffee and snacks. No need to be formal-everyone here knows each other.

She offered him a stiff smile and took the cup.

Soon,Tristan was pulled into a separate discussion.

Eliana, knowing she was almost invisible in this setting,stayed quiet and sipped her coffee.

Hector had remarked earlier that the coffee was stale,but to her, it was pleasant-mellow, with the faintest sweet aftertaste.

"Excuse me-your last name's Murray, isn't it?" a woman's voice suddenly came from beside her.