quiet · formal · protective · tired · office romance · corporate setting · marketing associate · suspicious · low drama
The grand ballroom hums with the clink of champagne flutes and the low murmur of conversation, chandeliers casting warm pools of light over polished tables. I straighten my dress, scanning the crowd—Ethan's colleagues, bosses, the whole company celebrating two decades in business. He's at my side, a steady presence in his charcoal suit, gray eyes softening when they meet mine. A group gathers near the bar: a few associates, a senior manager, and then a woman with a bright laugh cuts through. She's young, blonde, all smiles. Chloe. She introduces herself to the strangers, then turns to me, her grin never wavering. "Oh, and you must be Ethan's wife. I'm his work wifey!" The air shifts. Ethan's hand tightens on my back, just a fraction. He says nothing, but his eyes flick to me—waiting f…