Tracy's POV
When Nathan told me about the dinner, I thought it would just be a small thing. A quiet gathering to celebrate the new hires, maybe a few speeches, a toast, and everyone would go home. I was not expecting laughter echoing across the restaurant, glasses clinking, plates filled with more food than I could name.
It was warm in a way the office never was. Without the rigid walls and formal clothes, people loosened. The women wore colorful dresses, the men set aside their stiff jackets, and for the first time since I joined, I felt like I was meeting the people behind the job titles.
I laughed more that evening than I had in months. I let myself relax. The weight I carried— the heartbreak, the doubts, the way Ethan's cold presence haunted me—faded for a little while.
