When Roman pulled away, he stayed close enough for only Harper to hear him. “Let them look.”

She turned her head. Connor’s face had gone gray beneath the ballroom lights. Paige’s smug expression had vanished. Roman lowered his hand to Harper’s waist and finally acknowledged Connor.

“You wanted the room to believe Miss Bennett had been abandoned,” Roman said. “Now the room understands that she was merely released from a bad investment.”

Connor flushed. “Whatever game you’re playing—”

“I don’t play games with assets I value.”

Harper’s pulse jumped at the word assets, but Roman’s thumb brushed once against her side, almost apologetically. Connor looked from Roman to Harper.