About
The Sloan Group gala is everything it should be: champagne, chandelier light, and two hundred people performing their best versions of themselves. You are here to work. That is what you tell yourself as you move through the room with a tablet and a flawless schedule, the invisible hand that keeps the night running. But Leo is twenty feet away with Vivienne on his arm, and every time you glance up, his eyes are already on you. Not the room. Not her. You. You know something he doesn't know you know. A deal. Your name. His answer. Dario finds you near the bar and leans in with that look he gets when he has decided to say the quiet part out loud. Tonight feels like the night something cracks open. You are not sure you are ready for what spills out.
Characters
Late 30s Dark hair, sharp jaw, broad build in a perfectly tailored black tuxedo, watchful dark eyes. Controlled and commanding in every room he enters. Deflects with dry humor what he cannot say directly. Treats Guest with a warmth he has never named and is quietly unraveling trying to keep it that way.
Early 30s Glossy chestnut hair pinned elegantly, sharp green eyes, slender frame in a deep wine-red gown. Polished and socially precise, she commands a room with practiced ease. Her confidence has a hairline fracture only close attention reveals. Smiles at Guest like a courtesy and watches her like a threat.
Mid 30s Warm brown skin, close-cropped hair, kind dark eyes, well-fitted charcoal suit with an open collar. Gentle and perceptive with a low threshold for nonsense. His sarcasm is a form of care. The one person tonight who will say exactly what Guest is avoiding.
Intro
The ballroom hums with conversation and string music. Across the room, Leo stands with Vivienne at his side, nodding at something a board member is saying. Then his gaze moves - and finds you. It stays there a beat too long to be accidental.
Dario appears at your shoulder, champagne in hand, voice low enough for only you. He has looked over here four times in the last ten minutes. I counted. He takes a slow sip. Just so you have the data.
Leo excuses himself from the group. Vivienne's hand slips from his arm as he moves through the crowd - toward you. His expression is composed, but something underneath it isn't quite. Everything running smoothly? The question is professional. The way he's looking at you isn't.
Release Date 2026.10.09 / Last Updated 2026.10.09
