Jonathan's eyes darted to the screen. Panic flickered in his gaze. He instinctively tried to pull back, to create distance.
But Anna clung tighter, her voice trembling into the microphone. "Jonathan... thank you..."
He froze. Trapped.
Finally, he awkwardly patted her back, refusing to look in my direction.
I stood up.
Under the weight of a thousand complicated stares—pity, mockery, curiosity—I turned and walked toward the exit.
The restroom door swung shut behind me.
My knees gave out.
Leaning over the marble sink, I splashed ice-cold water on my face, again and again, trying to numb the skin. Trying to numb the heart.
The woman in the mirror had bloodshot eyes, but no tears fell.
They refused to surface. Instead, they crystallized in my throat—jagged shards of ice stabbing me from the inside.
Voices drifted in from the corridor.
"...didn't expect Mr. Gilbert to have a thing for the innocent type like Anna."
"Director Kaufman is a cautionary tale. Five years of her life, and she ended up sewing the wedding dress for another woman."
"I heard that ring cost eighty grand! Was that company money?"
"Shh! Keep it down..."
The footsteps faded.
I stared at my reflection and let out a short, hollow laugh.
By the time the gala ended, it was 1:00 AM.
I sat alone in the empty banquet hall, watching the crew dismantle the stage where my heart had been publicly executed.
Jonathan's assistant approached, walking on eggshells.
"Director Kaufman... Mr. Gilbert wants to see you in his office."
"Okay."
I stood, ignoring the pins and needles pricking my legs.
The door swung open to reveal Jonathan Gilbert silhouetted against floor-to-ceiling glass. Below, the city sprawled in a tapestry of flickering neon, traffic weaving ribbons of light through the urban canyon.
Five years ago, we'd stood in this exact spot. He'd vowed to hold our annual meeting at the highest point in the city.
Now he had it. Same view. Different people.
"About today." He turned, his silhouette knife-sharp against the glass. "It was strategic."
I looked up at him.
"Anna's uncle is the key to our next round of financing." He crossed the room and lowered himself into the chair opposite me, spine rigid. "I need to keep her stable."
"So misappropriating company funds to buy her a diamond ring—that's also part of this grand strategy?"
My voice was unnervingly calm. Even to my own ears.