This was a moment I had been dreaming of for months. Bryce was also attending since it was a party hosted by his business partner, Rowan. As we arrived at the party, I felt my palms getting clammy as I smoothed down my dress for the hundredth time. But as soon as we stepped inside, I noticed how Bryce’s attention kept drifting away from me, straight toward a slim, attractive woman across the room.Her name was Elise, and she seemed to captivate everyone with just a smile. I caught Bryce’s gaze lingering on her.
“Now that’s how a woman should look in a dress,” Bryce said, his voice dripping with admiration as he nodded toward Elise. Then, with a glance at me, he added, “Maybe you should ask her for some tips, sunshine.” The words stung.
I could feel my confidence crumbling with each passing moment.As the evening wore on, Bryce found every excuse to be near Elise—laughing at her jokes, complimenting her on every little thing, while I stood in the background, feeling more invisible than ever. I wanted to melt into the walls and become part of the wallpaper, so I hid in the corner of the room. That’s when I met Rowan. He was standing in the same corner, seemingly unnoticed by the crowd. But unlike me, he wore a warm gaze. When he spoke, it was with a gentle humor that immediately put me at ease.“Not much for the crowd, huh?” “Not really. I guess I’m more comfortable behind the scenes.” “Well, you’ve certainly outdone yourself tonight,” Rowan said, his gaze shifting toward the dessert table. “Did you make all of those?” “Yes. It’s my first time catering an event like this.” “First time?” he raised an eyebrow. “You could’ve fooled me.
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