The last of the dessert plates had been cleared away by silent service drones, and the tension could still be felt.
Lilianna had spent the tail end of the meal in light conversation with Helena and Ciel, her voice pitched low enough to exclude the rest of the table. Whatever she told them hadn't erased the tension, but at least eased it.
Now, as the conversation began to liven up the atmosphere, Bryan began stacking dessert forks absentmindedly.
Then, Lilianna suddenly turned her head.
Her gaze landed on Neville again.
"Oh—" She snapped her fingers as though a thought had just come through. "Neville, you said you love stakes earlier, didn't you? How about another game?"
The words stilled the barely warmed-up atmosphere, and conversations paused.
There was a collective change in attention, waiting for what was to come.
Neville set down his water glass and asked, "What kind of game?"
"Up to you." Lilianna smiled, tilting her chin. "Your choice.
