without fear, without shame

"So, you did sleep with him? Oh, yeah, of course, stupid question." Gavin muttered, feeling foolish for even asking.

"Is there something else you want to say? Or maybe there's another reason you're angry?" Alaric asked.

Gavin hesitated for a moment, then quickly replied, "I'm just shocked and need time to process all this. After all, this is your first partner ever, and on top of that, your partner is a club member while you're the club president. Your decision will affect the business!"

"No, no, no... Gavin, my precious friend... my partnership with Raven won't disrupt the business. You saw last night, I still sent him out for work. We've been partners since Friday night. It won't change a thing, I promise. It's purely a partnership, nothing else."

"No, it doesn't," Gavin thought, the words laced with silent disagreement.

"Are you listening to me, Gavin?"

Gavin shrugged nonchalantly, his gaze betraying his uncertainty.