A week had passed in a new rhythm of silence. Every morning at seven, Elena would sit across from Ethan at the dining table. There were no more confrontations, no more uninvited guests. Only the clinking of silverware and the rustle of a newspaper. However, something had changed. Ethan could feel it. He was no longer an object to be ignored; he was a subject to be observed.
He could feel Elena's gaze on him when she thought he wasn't looking. A wary, analytical, and curious gaze. As if she were studying a foreign species. The peak had been the softly spoken "thank you" a few days ago, a small word that had felt like an earthquake in their silent world. Ethan didn't let himself hope for too much. He chalked it up to a new phase in their long and complicated negotiation. The data-gathering phase.
Tonight, that negotiation was about to enter the public arena.
There was an annual charity gala, one of the most important social events of the season, and the attendance of the newlywed Mr. and Mrs. Riels was a non-negotiable obligation. Ethan had relayed the information through the head butler, an impersonal method he chose to avoid any potential debate. He simply had the finest gowns made available in Elena's closet and hoped she would choose one of them.
At eight o'clock in the evening, Ethan stood at the foot of the main staircase, waiting. He wore a classic black tuxedo, looking perfect on the outside, but inside, his stomach was in knots. Commanding a boardroom was a hundred times easier than this. This was a territory he did not control.
Then, he heard it. The sound of soft footsteps on the floor above.
He lifted his head. And for a moment, he forgot how to breathe.
Elena stood at the top of the stairs. She was wearing a sapphire-blue silk gown that hugged her curves perfectly before cascading to the floor. The color accentuated her porcelain skin and made her eyes seem deeper. Her hair was styled in an elegant chignon, revealing her long neck and soft shoulders. Around her neck was the diamond necklace Ethan had given her as a wedding gift—a gift she had never touched until tonight.
In that moment, his CEO mask cracked. He was no longer a businessman analyzing a situation. He was just a man, gazing at the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, who happened to be his wife. A sharp pang of pain and longing hit him with surprising force.
Elena descended the stairs with a quiet grace, her eyes fixed forward, not looking at Ethan. She stopped on the last step.
Ethan cleared his throat, trying to find his voice again. "Are you ready?" he asked, his voice a little hoarser than he would have liked.
He offered her his elbow, a formal gesture. There was a pause that felt like a full minute. Ethan could see the hesitation in Elena's eyes. Then, very slowly, she placed her cool hand on his arm. The touch felt like a small electric shock.
They walked out to the car in silence. The chauffeur opened the door for them, and they sat beside each other in the spacious backseat. The silence in the car felt different than usual. It was no longer a cold and hostile silence, but an awkward and anticipatory one.
As the car cut through the night, Ethan dared himself. He turned to look at the profile of his wife's face reflected in the window.
"That color," he said softly, "it suits you very well."
Elena stopped looking out the window. She turned her head slowly, and for the first time that night, her eyes met Ethan's directly in the dim darkness of the car. Her expression was unreadable.