Riley's eyes narrowed faintly as he took it all in.
He knew how this night would end. He had seen such preparations before and knew that he was in for a great ride for tonight indeed.
Still, his expression remained calm, touched with that ever-unreadable smile of his.
"Kind people attract more than just luck," he mused to himself as he stepped forward. "Sometimes, they attract fire... and sometimes, something far more complicated."
Jade stepped forward as well, her expression serene, but her eyes searched his face for something—approval, perhaps. Or maybe just acknowledgment. She held a small tray with a teapot and two porcelain cups.
"You came," she said softly, her voice carrying like a whisper on the wind. Her words to Riley did not become so formal also like she used to before clearly hinting about what this meeting would entail between the two of them.
"You invited," Riley replied, his tone light. "It would have been rude not to."
