Victor Hale's smile was the kind that made people uneasy.
Not wide.
Not loud.
Just slow and deliberate, like a man who had spotted something interesting and was already deciding how to use it.
Damian felt his stomach tighten.
The alpha standing a few feet away wasn't just curious anymore.
He was studying him.
And powerful men studying omegas rarely ended well.
Victor's sharp gaze flicked between Damian and Kendrick.
"Interesting company tonight," Victor said casually.
His tone was light.
But the meaning beneath it wasn't.
Kendrick didn't respond immediately.
His posture straightened slightly, placing himself subtly between Victor and Damian.
Not obviously.
But enough.
Victor noticed.
Of course he did.
The corner of his mouth curved upward a little more.
"Well," Victor continued, swirling the amber liquid in his glass, "I wasn't aware Walker Corporation had started conducting business with catering staff."
Damian felt the heat of embarrassment creep up his neck.
He gripped the tray in his hands tighter.
"I was just offering drinks," he said quietly.
Victor didn't look at him.
His eyes remained on Kendrick.
"That's not what I meant."
The tension between the two alphas sharpened like a blade sliding from its sheath.
Kendrick's voice remained calm.
"You seem unusually interested in my conversations tonight."
Victor chuckled softly.
"I'm interested in many things."
His gaze finally returned to Damian.
"And rare things interest me the most."
Damian's pulse stumbled.
Rare.
The word made his instincts twitch uneasily.
Victor tilted his head slightly, studying him again.
"You're new," he said.
Damian shook his head.
"No, sir."
"Hmm."
Victor leaned a little closer.
Not close enough to touch.
But close enough that Damian felt the subtle shift in the air again.
The man inhaled slowly.
And his eyes sharpened.
Kendrick stepped forward instantly.
"Victor."
The warning in his voice was quiet but unmistakable.
Victor looked amused.
"Relax," he said. "I'm not stealing your champagne."
But his gaze flicked back toward Damian again.
"Though I do have to say… something about him seems familiar."
Damian's heart began beating faster.
Because that was exactly the kind of statement he didn't want to hear from someone like Victor Hale.
Familiar meant curiosity.
Curiosity meant attention.
And attention meant problems.
Kendrick's jaw tightened slightly.
"You're imagining things."
Victor raised an eyebrow.
"Am I?"
The air between them grew heavier.
Around them, the ballroom continued as if nothing unusual was happening.
Music played softly.
Guests laughed and talked.
Waiters moved between tables.
But the small space near the window felt strangely isolated.
Like a quiet battlefield.
Victor took another sip of his drink.
Then he looked directly at Damian again.
"Tell me," he said, "how long have you worked events like this?"
Damian forced his voice to remain steady.
"A while."
"And do you attend many gatherings hosted by powerful alpha families?"
Damian hesitated.
"No."
Victor nodded slowly.
"That makes sense."
His gaze lingered again.
Too long.
Too calculating.
Kendrick finally spoke again.
"That's enough."
Victor looked back at him.
"You're protective tonight."
"I'm practical."
Victor laughed softly.
"I've known you a long time, Kendrick."
His eyes gleamed slightly.
"And this doesn't look like practicality."
Damian felt the tray grow heavier in his hands again.
Every instinct told him to leave.
Immediately.
But walking away now might only draw more attention.
Victor tilted his head again.
"You know what I think?"
Kendrick didn't respond.
Victor answered anyway.
"I think you noticed something."
His eyes slid toward Damian.
"And now I'm wondering if I should notice it too."
The words landed like a quiet threat.
Kendrick's voice cooled instantly.
"You're overthinking a minor interaction."
Victor shrugged lightly.
"Maybe."
But the interest in his gaze remained.
And that was the real problem.
Because Victor Hale loved mysteries.
And Damian Roberts had just become one.
Damian cleared his throat slightly.
"I should get back to work."
Neither alpha stopped him this time.
But as he stepped away, he could feel Victor's gaze following him again.
Analyzing.
Measuring.
Calculating.
Across the room, Damian disappeared back into the moving crowd.
Victor watched him go.
Then he turned back to Kendrick.
"Well," he said quietly.
"That was fascinating."
Kendrick's expression didn't change.
"You're reading too much into it."
Victor smiled again.
"I disagree."
He leaned slightly closer.
"That omega is hiding something."
Kendrick didn't respond.
Victor continued.
"And judging by your reaction… you already know that."
For the first time that evening, Kendrick felt a flicker of real irritation.
"Drop it, Victor."
Victor stepped back with a soft laugh.
"Relax."
He raised his glass in a casual salute.
"I'm just observing."
But his eyes gleamed with quiet satisfaction.
Because he had already seen enough.
More than enough.
Across the ballroom, Damian tried to steady his breathing while moving between guests again.
But his nerves were rattled now.
Victor Hale had noticed him.
And Kendrick Walker had tried to stop it.
Neither of those things should have happened tonight.
He adjusted the tray again.
Just finish the shift, he told himself.
Then go home.
But something told him the night wasn't going to end that easily.
Across the ballroom, Victor spoke again.
"You know," he said thoughtfully, "I've attended events like this for years."
Kendrick remained silent.
Victor continued.
"And I've rarely seen you pay attention to anyone who wasn't powerful, useful, or dangerous."
His gaze slid back toward the crowd where Damian had disappeared.
"So tell me."
Victor's smile returned.
"Which one is he?"
Kendrick didn't answer.
But that silence told Victor everything he needed to know.
And Victor Hale loved secrets.
Especially the kind that could destroy reputations.
He finished his drink slowly.
Because suddenly this engagement party had become far more interesting than expected.
And somewhere in the crowded ballroom—
The omega who had caught Kendrick Walker's attention had just become the most dangerous secret in the room.