Chapter 160

• Roth had just finished conversing with a woman from his company when he absentmindedly glanced at the elevator door and realized that he was still not there.
• All the fears he had harbored for so long flooded Roth's heart in anticipation of seeing Tristan in person again, this time with his partner. It was at that moment Roth comprehended that he wasn't adequately prepared for tonight, as he previously believed. "I really shouldn't," he murmured as he looked down at the drink in his hand. However, in his desperation to escape the unpleasant reality of what was about to unfold, he found himself unconsciously bringing the glass to his lips. The potent liquid flowed down his throat and settled in his stomach.
• Once more surveying the crowd, Roth forcibly redirected his thoughts to the ongoing success of the party. Grabbing another drink from a passing waiter, he contemplated how Tristan, the sole man capable of igniting his desire, would probably pierce him with a single piercing glance upon arrival. The thought of witnessing Tristan and his partner openly displaying affection right in front of him was unbearable.