A flicker of sadness danced in his eyes before he masked it with a bitter smile. "I knew it, Irene. You still love him, don’t you?"

I shook my head, my voice steady. "Not at this moment."

His gaze lingered on me, searching for something unspoken.

I let out a cold sneer. "I might consider dating you, but only after I’ve divorced him."

A look of stunned disbelief crossed Matias’s face. "You’re serious?"

"Fine. I’ll wait for you."

"Walk with me. I need to sober up," I said.

Half an hour later, Clayton emerged from the bathroom, his expression smug and satisfied. But when he returned to the suite, I was nowhere to be found.

He panicked.

"Irene! Where did you go?"

His calls came through, but I silenced them, letting his desperation echo unanswered.

When he finally found me, I was walking toward the suite door with Matias by my side.

"Irene, where on earth were you? I called, and you didn’t answer. You scared me!" he exclaimed, pulling me into an eager embrace, his relief palpable.

"Good girl, don’t wander off again. You gave me quite a fright."

"Thanks, Matias. You’re such a reliable brother. I owe you a meal for bringing Irene back."