Lucas and Vivian were a picture-perfect example of a powerful couple. Lucas, the CEO of Stratton & Co., and Vivian, the founder of a global beauty and makeup empire, moved through the world with an effortless grace and confidence that commanded attention. Both ambitious, both driven, they complemented each other's strengths and understood the pressures of being at the top. They had been betrothed since middle school, a bond formed early, strengthened over years of shared goals and challenges. Where Lucas brought strategic vision and leadership, Vivian brought creativity, charisma, and a presence that drew people in. They were the kind of couple that made people stop and take notice, the kind of partnership built on mutual respect, desire, and the understanding that only someone equally committed could share such a life. Even in public, their chemistry was undeniable. Behind closed doors, it was a combination of intellectual connection, shared ambition, and subtle, unspoken heat that neither allowed to spill into their professional worlds.
Lena had only heard Lucas mention his fiancée once, that day in his office when he corrected her assumption about the New York trip. Since then, her curiosity had taken over entirely. She had turned the internet upside down, searching for every scrap of information she could find about Vivienne. Company articles, social media posts, interviews, and press releases—nothing escaped her scrutiny. Each picture she found, every mention of her name, added layers to the woman she was only beginning to understand. Vivienne was everything Lucas seemed to need: poised, striking, and commanding, the kind of woman who could run her own empire and hold her own in any boardroom. Lena could see why Lucas had chosen her.
Lena couldn't stop herself from imagining the life Vivienne and Lucas shared in the quiet moments away from the public eye. The thought of their weekends together, their private dinners, and their shared laughter made her chest tighten. Lucas was still away on the trip for his parents' anniversary, leaving Lena alone with her racing mind. She prayed quietly, half in jest, half in desperation, imagining Vivienne in the spaces that Lucas might have once shared with her. She pictured what Vivienne might be wearing, what she might be thinking, the way she might laugh at Lucas's dry humor. Each image Lena conjured felt vivid, almost painful in its clarity.
Vivienne had built her beauty and makeup empire from the ground up, starting in her early twenties with a single boutique and a few loyal clients. Her determination had drawn attention quickly, and within a few years, she had expanded internationally. The media loved to highlight her elegance and intellect, always referring to her as the alpha woman every CEO admired. Lucas and Vivienne had grown together, balancing the weight of their responsibilities with a personal chemistry that made their bond unshakable. Their relationship had been tested by long hours, frequent business trips, and the public's scrutiny, yet they had emerged stronger each time. Even the small disagreements they experienced, never made public, seemed to deepen their connection, creating an intimacy built on understanding and patience.
Even with their success, Lena could see that Lucas and Vivienne were not immune to conflict. Articles and interviews hinted at disagreements, subtle mentions of "balancing work and life," or the "challenges of running two powerful companies while keeping a relationship intact." Lena imagined what those conflicts must look like behind closed doors. Even in the happiest relationships, there were disagreements, and the secret heat, the tension that built and dissolved, existed just out of sight. They didn't make it to the public eye or social media, but Lena felt it in every picture and caption she studied, sensing the intimacy and intensity that bonded them even through moments of friction.
She found herself captivated by the way Vivienne carried herself in interviews, the way she could be soft and commanding at once, a combination that seemed impossible yet natural. Lena imagined her in Lucas's office, discussing strategies and challenges, matching his wit, holding her own with ease. Every post Lena read, every video she watched, added pieces to the puzzle. Vivienne was sophisticated, decisive, and magnetic. Lena understood now why Lucas's life had room for only someone like her.
Late into the night, Lena sat at her desk, her notes from the day untouched as she scrolled through Vivienne's online presence. She couldn't stop thinking about the weekend Lucas was spending with his fiancée. She imagined them planning small surprises for each other, laughing over late-night calls, or negotiating travel arrangements for business trips. Lena's stomach tightened with the sharp pang of disappointment. She had imagined, briefly, being part of those moments, sitting beside Lucas in New York, seeing the city through his eyes. Now she realized how impossibly far from that reality she truly was.
Her imagination spiraled further. What were they doing at that very moment? Sharing coffee in a boutique hotel room? Walking the streets of Manhattan with the skyline above them, laughing at something only they understood? Lena's mind refused to rest. She tried to return to work, tried to focus on her notes and reports, but her thoughts always drifted back to Vivienne. The woman seemed untouchable, effortlessly occupying a space Lena hadn't even realized existed, a space that Lucas had never shared with anyone else.
Even knowing that their relationship was public yet private in ways that kept ordinary people from understanding, Lena's curiosity persisted. She wanted to know Vivienne's habits, her tastes, her daily life. Each piece of information she found was a thread connecting her to the life Lena could only watch from afar. It was fascinating, maddening, and heartbreaking all at once. Lena realized she had spent hours piecing together a picture of someone she had never met, someone who was so intimately connected to the man she was starting to care for more than she should.
The irony wasn't lost on her. She had spent months hoping to impress Lucas, to prove herself capable, only to realize that the space she longed to occupy in his life was already filled. The thought stung, and Lena couldn't deny the weight of jealousy, admiration, and fascination that swirled inside her. She leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes for a moment, imagining what it would be like to meet Vivienne, to see Lucas's face light up for someone else. Each scenario was a mixture of awe and heartbreak.
Lena understood now that her crush, her infatuation with Lucas, had been one-sided. Vivienne was more than just a fiancée; she was a force, a partner in every sense. She was someone who understood the demands of being at the top, someone who could handle Lucas in ways Lena couldn't even imagine. Lena couldn't help but feel both respect and envy for Vivienne. The more she learned, the more she realized that some people were born to walk alongside giants, and she wasn't one of them.
By the time Lena finally looked at the clock, hours had passed. Her desk was a mess of scattered notes and highlighted screenshots, yet she didn't care. She was caught between relief and despair, fascinated by a woman she had only just discovered, and overwhelmed by the realization that Lucas's life, his time, and his affections belonged elsewhere. And as the city lights flickered outside her office window, Lena promised herself she would continue to learn, continue to grow, and continue to watch—even if it meant keeping a safe distance from the man she wanted more than she would admit.