The dress fit better than Lina expected.
Elegant. Subtle. Expensive in a way that didn't need to announce itself.
"Perfect," the stylist said.
Lina looked at her reflection and barely recognized herself.
When Ethan saw her, his expression didn't change—but his eyes lingered for half a second longer than necessary.
"Ready?" he asked.
At the venue, conversations paused as they entered. People smiled too quickly, watched too closely.
Ethan's hand rested at the small of her back, steady and warm.
"Relax," he murmured. "They're here for me."
"That doesn't help."
"It should," he said. "No one notices the wife. They notice the power."
She glanced at him. "Am I invisible, then?"
"No," he answered. "You're protected."
Throughout the night, he never left her side.
And Lina couldn't tell if that made her feel safer—
or trapped.