No sooner had Vivian finished her tirade than the banquet manager approached.
He seemed familiar with Vivian and recognized her as a frequent guest. Raine, however, was an unfamiliar face, which gave him pause.
He stopped beside Raine, his tone polite but cautious. "Miss, to avoid any misunderstandings, may I see your invitation?"
Raine glanced at Vivian, then at the manager, and smiled lightly. She popped the last bite of pastry into her mouth, shrugged, and replied coolly, "I don't have an invitation."
Then, Raine pointed toward Damien. "I came in with him."
Both the manager and Vivian followed her gesture, their gazes landing on Damien, who stood amidst a small group of people not far away.
His face was partially obscured by the crowd, but Vivian immediately recognized him.
After
