Excellent Actress

"Is that so?" Horatio's voice carried a note of skepticism. As a man, he knew whether George was sincerely cool with that or not, but he wasn't going to press any further. He was sure with time, everything will be revealed.

"Mm-hmm. And just to clear up any doubts, Steffan and I are officially back together." Her words carried a conclusive edge that Horatio couldn't help but fleep that Lauren had drawn a curtain over the conversation, not just today but in the future. 

Meanwhile, across the room, George observed Lauren's table from a distance. Once they were seated, he turned to Isabella. 

"So, what do you think of Lauren? She's a darling, isn't she?" His voice was light, almost offhand, but his eyes were sharp, searching for any crack in Isabella's carefully composed exterior.

Isabella's response was measured. "She seems nice enough." Though her tone was neutral, George could pick up on the faint tension in her words.