Chapter 79: Unspoken Worries

Mariana couldn't help but notice the shift in his mood. There was a tension in his posture that spoke of unspoken worries. She longed to ask him what was wrong, to offer a listening ear as she'd done for him in the past, but the awkwardness of the rejection still haunted her. Unlike Daphne, Quam seemed to understand the unspoken power behind Mariana's sudden rise in the industry. To pry further, he worried, might only open a can of worms neither of them were prepared to deal with, especially after her recent rejection of anything more than a platonic relationship. "Is everything alright, Quam?" Mariana finally asked, her voice laced with concern. Quam offered a tight smile, the gesture failing to reach his eyes. "Everything's fine, Mariana," he replied, his tone clipped. "Just a bit… drained from the travel, you know." Mariana wasn't entirely convinced. But with no clear invitation to confide his troubles, she decided to let it go for now. She shifted in her seat, the silence