Chapter 26 The Marriage Test

• The ballroom shimmered under the glow of chandeliers, the air thick with wealth and whispered secrets. Clara’s fingers curled around Ethan’s arm, her posture poised but alert. She could feel the eyes on her, scanning, judging, waiting for her to falter. This was no ordinary business event, it was a battlefield dressed in silk and champagne.
• Across the room, Gabrielle Monroe watched them with a predatory smile. She was elegance and poison wrapped in a crimson gown, her presence commanding attention. As they approached, her lips curled in amusement.
• “I see Ethan’s tastes have… changed,” she mused, her voice dripping with feigned surprise.