"What are you doing here?" I asked him, expecting a straightforward reply. Instead, he paused, reconsidered, and threw the question back at me. "What are you doing here?"

I was taken aback. I hadn't expected to see a familiar face, and now I couldn't help but wonder—could he be the one who left the message? Or was it something else entirely?

His expression mirrored the surprise I felt. I remembered the shock on his face earlier this evening when he scanned the crowd at the ceremony. Could it be that he received the same message as I did?

"Did you get a note from anyone?" I asked, hoping for honesty....