The event was in full swing. While they couldn't simply get up and disappear, Carmen could already tell that Nico had decided to meet with them. She watched him pull his phone back toward himself and immediately send a reply.
She had no idea what he was typing, but the serious expression on his face said more than enough.
Still, Carmen settled comfortably into her seat, smiling whenever the television cameras swept across the hall while carrying on a gentle conversation with the governor's wife. The woman seemed to have tacitly ignored her husband's lingering gaze on the event's host, appearing far more interested in the dishes arranged before her than anything happening around them.
Carmen listened without surprise as enormous donations continued pouring in, politely applauding along with everyone else. She noticed the exact moment Nico leaned close enough for only her to hear.
"I'm going to head off," he whispered, already half rising from his seat.
