Nick Carter stood near the heart of the grand event hall, surrounded by whispers wrapped in luxury suits and glowing crystal. The Elevate Expansion Gala pulsed with quiet tension — every handshake a contract, every glance a negotiation waiting to happen.
He tilted his glass, scanning the room casually — until he saw her.
Samantha.
She stood at the edge of the space, near the cascading glass sculpture that framed the hall's eastern wall. Her white silk dress clung to her like a signature. Sleek. Silent. Impossible to ignore.
Nick blinked, surprised to see her here of all places. The woman from the mall. Calm as snow but unreadable.
"Give me a minute, babe," he said softly to Kate, placing a light kiss on her cheek. He set his glass aside and walked over. She was deep in conversation with an investor from Dubai, but her eyes flicked to him as he stepped away.
Nick made his way through the crowd. Intentional. Measured.
He stopped briefly at a passing waiter and picked up two champagne flutes, then approached Samantha with the subtle poise of a man who rarely had to chase anyone.
"Hi," he said, offering one of the glasses, his smile charming and disarming all at once. "What a coincidence. I don't know if you still remember me… but we met once at the mall."
Samantha turned her head toward him. Calm. Poised. Her eyes were unreadable.
She didn't seem surprised. Not in the slightest.
"Yeah. Nick Carter," she said, taking the glass delicately. "I remember."
A soft, polite smile touched her lips. The kind you gave someone you knew you'd have to pretend around.
Nick raised his glass slightly. "Do you mind drinking with me?"
She lifted hers in response. "Sure. Why not."
"Cheers."
"Cheers."
The thin chime of crystal met in midair. They each took a single sip — not rushed, not indulgent — before placing the glasses on a tray that passed quietly between them.
Nick lingered, watching her.
She didn't fill the silence. She didn't need to.
Across the room, Kate watched it all unfold.
Her gaze snapped to Nick and Samantha, standing too close, speaking too comfortably. The champagne. The body language. The ease.
Her pulse kicked.
She excused herself from the conversation without explanation and walked swiftly toward the back hallway, her heels striking the marble with calculated restraint.
She pushed the powder room door open and stepped inside.
It was dim and scented with expensive perfume. Cool lighting caressed the gold-veined marble counters. In front of the largest mirror stood Chloe Carter, applying a final touch of nude gloss to her lips.
Kate walked past her and placed her clutch on the marble vanity, washing her hands with crisp movements before pulling out her mascara. She stared into the mirror — not at her reflection, but through it.
Chloe didn't glance her way. She capped her lip gloss and said dryly, "I hate to discuss this with you, but something feels off about tonight."
Kate paused mid-swipe, frowning. "What are you talking about?"
Still facing the mirror, Chloe's voice didn't soften. "Didn't you see them?"
Kate set down the mascara. "Who?"
"Nick and Samantha."
That name.
Kate's throat tightened.
Chloe finally turned toward her. "I don't know what it is about that woman, but she's not just here to network. She's not just some investor. And from where I stood, she's got Nick's full attention."
Kate's spine straightened. "That's ridiculous."
Chloe raised a brow. "Is it?"
"She's just… someone he met once. Nothing more."
Chloe walked to the next vanity, picked up her purse, and began fixing her earrings.
"Listen," she said, coolly. "I don't care who you choose to marry. I really don't. But you took someone's husband once, so don't act surprised when karma decides to level the field."
Kate turned sharply. "Excuse me?"
Chloe shrugged. "Just giving you a fair warning, sweetheart. If you don't watch that man of yours, someone else will. And this time? You might not have the upper hand."
Kate's jaw clenched. Her hands curled tightly around the edge of the counter.
"Can I borrow your lipstick?" she asked tightly, trying to steer the air back to neutral.
Chloe smirked faintly. "Sure. But I want your mascara. Left mine at home."
They exchanged without looking at each other.
A beat later, two women walked into the powder room— heels clicking, laughter soft, unaware of the tension suspended in the air between the other two women.
"I still can't believe no one's said who the new CEO is," one whispered to the other. "People are saying it's Samantha. That woman in white."
Kate froze.
Chloe's head snapped toward them subtly.
"Samantha?" Kate whispered under her breath.
The other woman replied, "I swear it's her. I mean, did you see the way she walked in? With that kind of security detail? Please. That's not someone who works for someone. That's someone who owns something."
Kate looked toward Chloe, eyes wide.
"No way," Chloe said firmly. "Samantha can't be the CEO. She might be rich, but Elevate's leadership? That's real power. Generational. Global. Samantha doesn't move like that."
Kate was quiet. Thoughtful.
"She doesn't have to move like anyone else," she murmured.
Chloe frowned. "What?"
Kate turned to her, mascara now returned to her clutch. "What if it is her?"
Chloe let out a sharp laugh. "No. You've got it twisted. Samantha is a guest, not a name."
"But—"
Chloe cut her off, her voice turning cold. "I don't know what kind of fantasy world you live in, Kate, but reality isn't built on rumors. It's built on numbers. And Samantha doesn't have those numbers."
She snapped her lipstick shut, slid it into her purse, and walked toward the door.
Just before stepping out, Kate's voice called out.
"Then why is everyone watching her?"
Chloe paused, her hand on the handle.
She glanced over her shoulder, just slightly — just enough to let the edge of her diamond earring shimmer in the light.
"Because people love a mystery," she said. "But mystery doesn't equal power."
And with that, she walked out.
Kate stood alone now, the whispers from the two women still carrying softly behind her.
She didn't respond. She didn't move.
Instead, she looked at her reflection again. Her lips were perfect. Her lashes long. Her dress flawless.
But something in her eyes had cracked.
"Tonight will prove who's really behind the Elevate Expansion Project," she whispered to herself.
She gathered her things, tucked her expression behind poise, and followed Chloe out of the powder room— stepping back into the ballroom, into the game.