I grabbed Adele's arm and winked at Leon, who was standing not far away. He immediately started walking toward us.
"Hey, darling, how's the chit-chat going?" Leon draped his arm around my waist and leaned down to plant a kiss on the corner of my mouth, asking in a deliberately intimate tone.
The group of socialites instantly changed their expressions, swarming around us. "Oh, Leon, you cheeky devil! So this is your mate. Hello, I heard from Beverley that your name is Claire, right? Oh, you're as beautiful as she said..."
Their attitudes shifted dramatically as they engaged us in conversation, leaving Elena isolated. I watched her face shift from ghostly white to a furious red, cycling through shame, regret, and finally landing on anger—a truly dramatic spectacle.
I glanced at Adele, wh
