The celebration grew louder after the announcement.
Music swelled through the ballroom again, softer at first before rising into something elegant and lively. Guests gathered into small clusters, champagne glasses clinking as congratulations and business conversations mixed freely in the air.
The engagement of Kendrick Walker and Alehandra Peters was already the center of every conversation.
It had been expected.
But expectations didn't stop people from talking about it.
"That alliance will reshape half the corporate market."
"I heard the Peters family controls three international shipping routes now."
"Walker stock is going to explode tomorrow."
Damian heard the whispers as he moved between tables, collecting empty glasses.
He tried not to listen.
But it was difficult when powerful people spoke as if the world itself were a chessboard and they were the ones moving the pieces.
Sometimes it reminded him just how far away his own life was from theirs.
Rent payments.
Cheap groceries.
Second-hand furniture in a tiny apartment.
Compared to the wealth surrounding him tonight, it felt like an entirely different universe.
Still, he kept working.
Step.
Collect.
Turn.
Repeat.
The routine helped calm his mind.
Because every time he slowed down for even a moment…
He remembered the way Kendrick Walker had been looking at him earlier.
Like he had discovered something interesting.
Or dangerous.
Damian tried to shake the thought away.
It didn't matter.
The man was engaged now.
Officially.
The entire ballroom had witnessed it.
Whatever strange curiosity Kendrick might have felt earlier would fade once the event ended.
It had to.
Across the ballroom, Kendrick stood surrounded by a small group of investors congratulating him.
He nodded politely as they spoke.
"Yes, thank you."
"We're looking forward to the partnership."
"It will be good for both families."
The words came easily.
Automatic.
He had been trained for moments like this since childhood.
But his attention kept drifting.
Every few seconds, his eyes moved across the room.
Searching.
Alehandra noticed immediately.
Of course she did.
She stood beside him with effortless composure, her hand resting lightly on his arm as they greeted guests together.
To anyone watching, they looked like the perfect future power couple.
But Alehandra's mind was sharper than most people realized.
And right now…
She was paying close attention.
"You've been distracted all evening," she said quietly when the group of investors finally moved away.
Kendrick glanced at her.
"Busy night."
Alehandra's smile remained calm.
"Yes."
Her gaze slid briefly across the ballroom.
"But not busy enough to explain why you keep looking over there."
Kendrick followed her line of sight automatically.
Toward the far side of the room.
Where catering staff were moving between tables.
He stopped himself a second later.
Alehandra noticed.
Interesting.
"Someone caught your attention," she said lightly.
Kendrick took a sip of champagne.
"Not particularly."
Alehandra hummed thoughtfully.
"You know," she continued, "I've known you for years."
He didn't respond.
"And in all that time," she added calmly, "I've never seen you watch the staff this closely."
That made Kendrick pause.
Only briefly.
But Alehandra caught it.
He set the champagne glass down.
"You're imagining things."
Alehandra didn't argue.
Instead, she simply smiled again and turned her attention toward the next group of guests approaching them.
But the small spark of curiosity inside her had already ignited.
Meanwhile—
On the other side of the ballroom—
Damian leaned slightly toward Lena as they both stood near one of the service tables.
Lena had been working catering jobs even longer than he had, and tonight she looked equally overwhelmed by the size of the event.
"Remind me why we accepted this shift again?" she muttered.
Damian huffed quietly.
"Because rent exists."
"Right."
Lena glanced toward the stage where Kendrick and Alehandra were still greeting guests.
"That guy is intimidating."
Damian followed her gaze briefly.
Kendrick looked perfectly calm surrounded by the crowd.
Like someone completely comfortable with the attention.
"Rich alpha heir," Lena continued. "Engaged to another rich alpha heir."
She nudged Damian lightly.
"Power couple of the century."
Damian shrugged.
"Good for them."
Lena studied his expression.
"You met him earlier, didn't you?"
Damian stiffened slightly.
"How did you—"
"I saw you run into someone near the champagne table," she said.
"And then I saw who it was."
Damian groaned quietly.
"Please don't remind me."
Lena raised an eyebrow.
"What happened?"
"Nothing."
Her eyes narrowed.
"Damian."
"Seriously," he insisted. "It was just an accident."
Lena leaned closer.
"Did he yell at you?"
"No."
"Did he complain to management?"
"No."
"Then why do you look like someone just told you your landlord raised the rent again?"
Damian hesitated.
Then he sighed.
"He asked my name."
Lena blinked.
"That's it?"
"That's not normal," Damian said.
Lena shrugged.
"Maybe he's polite."
Damian gave her a look.
"Polite alphas don't stare at people like they're solving a puzzle."
Lena paused.
"…Okay, that's slightly weird."
Damian rubbed the back of his neck carefully, avoiding the suppressor patch.
"Exactly."
Lena glanced toward Kendrick again.
"You think he noticed you're an omega?"
Damian's stomach tightened.
"I don't know."
That uncertainty bothered him more than anything else.
Because if Kendrick Walker had actually smelled something through the suppressor…
Things could get complicated very quickly.
Across the ballroom—
Kendrick's eyes moved again.
And finally found what he had been looking for.
Damian stood near the service table, speaking quietly with another staff member.
Even from this distance, Kendrick could see the slight tension in the omega's posture.
Like someone constantly aware of his surroundings.
Careful.
Guarded.
Different.
And there it was again.
That faint scent drifting through the air.
Warm.
Soft.
Unmistakable.
Kendrick's pulse quickened slightly.
Strange.
He had encountered countless omegas throughout his life.
None had ever affected his senses like this.
It wasn't overwhelming.
It wasn't aggressive.
But it lingered in his awareness like a quiet signal he couldn't ignore.
Alehandra noticed the exact moment Kendrick's attention shifted again.
She followed his gaze.
And this time…
She saw him.
The omega standing near the service table.
Talking to another staff member.
Alehandra studied the scene quietly.
Then she looked back at Kendrick.
A slow realization formed in her mind.
Ah.
Now things were starting to make sense.
Her smile remained perfect as she greeted another guest.
But inside, her thoughts were already moving ahead.
Because if there was one thing Alehandra Peters understood very well…
It was the danger of unexpected variables.
And that omega—
That quiet catering worker—
Had just become one.
Meanwhile—
Damian felt a sudden chill run down his spine.
He turned slightly.
And his eyes met Kendrick's across the ballroom.
Again.
The distance between them was much greater this time.
But the moment still felt the same.
Focused.
Heavy.
Unavoidable.
Damian's heart skipped.
Why does he keep looking at me?
Across the room, Kendrick tilted his head slightly.
And for the first time that evening—
He smiled.
Not the polite smile he gave investors and reporters.
But something quieter.
More curious.
More dangerous.
And in that moment—
Damian realized something that made his stomach drop.
The most powerful alpha in the city wasn't ignoring him.
He was watching him.