Our first gala

CHRISTOPHER

"Eyes on the lens, Christopher," he murmured, his lips barely moving as he threw a devastatingly handsome smile towards a row of photographers.

"Don't let them see you counting the days."

"I'm not counting the days, Xavier," I whispered back, my own smile fixed and brilliant as I waved at a familiar socialite.

"I'm counting the minutes until I can take this ring off and stop pretending your breathing doesn't annoy me."

As we reached the top of the stairs, a reporter thrust a microphone toward us. "Mr. Smith! Mr. Vance! Is it true the honeymoon was cut short for the tech acquisition?"

Xavier’s hand slid to the small of my back—a gesture that looked protective to the cameras but felt like a proprietary brand through my suit jacket.

" The honeymoon never ends when you're as in love as we are," he said, his voice smooth .

I felt the heat of his palm seeping through my layers. I leaned into him, playing the part of the devoted spouse while my eyes remained cold.

" Business is our love language, didn't you know? We find spreadsheets incredibly romantic."

The reporter laughed, charmed by the wit of the power couple, while Xavier’s grip tightened just a fraction.

Once we pushed through the heavy bronze doors into the ballroom, the noise of the press faded into the hum of a thousand elite conversations. Xavier didn't let go of my back. He steered me towards a corner shadowed by a marble pillar, his composure finally starting to fray at the edges.

"Spreadsheets?" he hissed, his eyes dark. "You’re pushing it, Christopher. My father is ten feet away talking to the governor. One more comment like that, and I’ll give them a headline they weren't expecting."

I tilted my head, my pulse jumping as I looked at the way his bow tie was just a hair crooked—the only sign of his inner turmoil. "And what headline would that be, Xavier? 'CEO Loses Cool in Public'? Or 'Marriage or Sham'?"

He leaned in, his shadow eclipsing me against the cold stone wall. "How about 'Husband Silences Spouse'? If you don't drop the act for five minutes, I'm going to find a very public way to make you quiet."

The tension between us was a physical weight, thick enough to choke on, until a sharp, mocking drawl sliced through it.

"Careful, Xavier. People might think you’re actually fond of your new acquisition if you keep him cornered like that."

Xavier’s hand didn't leave my back, but I felt his muscles turn to steel. We both turned to see Julian Vane—Xavier’s primary competitor and the only man arrogant enough to interrupt a Smith in mid-threat. He was leaning against a marble plinth, swirling a glass of champagne with a glint in his eyes.

"Julian," Xavier clipped out, his voice returning to that flat, corporate ice. "I didn't realize you were on the guest list. I thought this was an event for active market leaders."

Julian chuckled, his gaze sliding over Xavier to settle on me. He let his eyes wander slow and deliberate, a blatant challenge. "I never miss a good show.Thee Smith-Vance merger is the performance of the decade. Tell me, Christopher, is life in the Smith fortress as... stimulating as the press releases suggest? Or is he as boring behind closed doors as he is in a boardroom?"

I felt Xavier’s fingers dig into my hip, a silent command to stay in line, but I couldn't resist. I stepped half an inch forward, a lazy, dangerous smile spreading across my face.

"Oh, Julian," I purred, glancing at Xavier’s tightening jaw. "Xavier is many things, but 'boring' isn't one of them. He’s surprisingly... thorough when he wants to close a deal. Isn't that right, darling?"

"My husband is prone to exaggeration," Xavier said. "But he’s right about one thing. I don't leave loose ends. In business or in my private life."