It wasn't something Pearl could pull off. Fleur said, "You're indeed clever, Darius, but it's just gonna stress me out when we have anything to do with each other in the future."

Darius seemed unfazed by her words. He raised an eyebrow, put his wine glass on the table, and looked her in the eye. "Actually, there's no need for you to trust or befriend me." He leaned back and rested his arms on the armrests. "I'm tired of playing games—tell me what you're here for."

Fleur didn't expect him to be