"What are you doing—" Kate started, eyes flashing.
Orion shook his head slightly and spoke low, "Put it down. It's best to stay out of this one."
Kate froze. While she couldn't see through the mask to see what kind of expression he was making, she felt the tone in his voice wasn't casual or some friendly advice— it was clearly a warning. She studied his masked face for a moment, saw the seriousness in his eyes, and reluctantly lowered her paddle.
"Alright… but you'll tell me why later," she muttered, still curious but trusting him enough not to argue.
Orion gave a subtle nod, eyes flicking back to the egg.
Across the room, at Table 13, Alex had been casually sipping his wine while watching the crowd. His gaze flicked toward Kate just as she raised the paddle — and then toward Orion when she lowered it abruptly.
