"Sir, I'm so sorry! It was an accident!" The young waiter panicked, reaching for a napkin to dab at Louis's coat, but Louis brushed him off with a sharp, fluid motion.
"Hey! Look what you've done!" Louis stood, his face flushed crimson with anger, his jaw set like carved stone.
Czarina Aurelia spun around, her expression etched with shock. "Oh my God! I'm so sorry, sir! It was my fault, not him!" She waved the waiter away in haste, her gaze holding something no one else could see.
Louis fixed her with eyes dark and dangerous. "Do you think 'it was an accident' is enough to replace a ten-thousand-dollar suit?"
Czarina drew a steady breath, meeting his stare without flinching. Her voice was calm, but it cut clean through the growing murmur of the crowd. "Send me the bill. I'll pay double if that's what it takes. Let me ask you this, does money matter more to you than the life of a waiter who's only trying to make a living?"
Her tone was soft, yet sharp enough to leave Louis feeling exposed in front of everyone gathering around them.
Click-click-click! Camera shutters rattled like gunfire, capturing every detail of Louis's fury and Czarina's resolve.
"Next time, miss. Watch where you're going!" Louis's voice was cold as ice.
"Next time, Mr. Xanders. Try smiling when you're angry. It would make you look less intimidating."
Czarina walked away with measured grace, leaving Louis standing there, his face still burning hot.
The commotion caught Lorenzo Moretti's eye. From across the room, he watched with a small, mysterious smile, as if he understood something the rest did not.
Chrysan moved close, leaning in to speak low in his ear. "Do you know that woman?"
"Not yet, Chrysan," he replied, his eyes still following Czarina's path. "But, I will get to know her. There's something different about her."
***
THE AWARDS GALA
Spotlights blazed across the massive stage as names of the city's most powerful figures were called one by one. The host, with his distinct British lilt, kept the room laughing with easy banter.
"Now, for the Executive of the Year award, Louis Xander!"
Louis strode onto the stage with firm, confident steps. Thunderous applause rolled through the hall, and camera flashes flooded his face. He accepted the golden trophy with a cold gaze, then offered a smile, but it never reached his eyes.
"Success is not a matter of luck," he said into the microphone, his voice strong and clear. "Success is the ability to stay calm when everyone else has lost their senses."
The audience applauded again. Some in admiration, others with a hint of fear lurking beneath their smiles.
"Next up. The Entrepreneur of the Year, Lorenzo Moretti!"
Lorenzo rose with effortless elegance, kissed Chrysan's cheek briefly, then made his way to the stage. His demeanor was relaxed but polished.
"Thank you," he said, his smile as charming as ever. "Life isn't about how fast we climb to the top. It's about how strong we stand when we fall." As he spoke, his eyes found Fiamma in the crowd, and he gave her a slow, subtle nod.
"The Women-run Workplace of the Year, Czarina Aurelia!"
Her smile lit up the entire room as she glided to the stage with light, graceful steps.
"A woman's strength does not lie behind the success of a man," she said, her voice brimming with confidence. "It lives within her own heart. Even when the world tries to make her feel small."
Lorenzo clapped vigorously, his eyes never leaving her. Meanwhile, Chrysan watched him with a tight jaw and flushed cheeks. Her left eye darting occasionally to something hidden beneath their table.
***
THE RECEPTION AREA
Czarina approached Lorenzo with a practiced, polite smile. "Mr. Moretti, I'm truly impressed by what you've built in the food and beverage industry. It's an inspiration to so many."
Lorenzo grinned wider, his features growing more striking. "Thank you. But I'm more impressed by someone who can silence an entire ballroom with a single smile and who has the courage to take blame for something that wasn't her doing."
Czarina laughed softly, glancing away for a moment. "Do you say things like that to every woman you meet?"
"Only to women who don't break easily and who know their own worth. Like you."
Before Czarina could respond, a heavy voice cut through their conversation. "I don't think she needs sweet talk from a man who only likes being the center of attention."
Louis emerged from behind them, his eyes as cold as freshly forged steel. His hands were clasped tightly in front of his chest.
"You again?" Czarina closed her eyes for a second before meeting his gaze. "Still hung up on your expensive suit? I told you. I'll pay for it."
"I'm not hung up on the suit. I'm hung up on you belittling someone just to prove you're right," Louis said, his voice flat but charged with heat. "Or is there something else you're hiding?"
Lorenzo looked between them, his expression growing serious. "What's really going on here? You two seem to know each other better than you're letting on."
"The problem is this," Louis said, his gaze sharp on Czarina. "This woman doesn't seem to know her place. Especially in a business world meant for certain people."
"You're being ridiculous!" Czarina shot back, her voice firm as her right hand curled into a fist at her side.
"Or maybe I'm just more honest than you. You who likes to keep the truth hidden." Louis stepped closer, leaving only inches between them. His breath carried the sharp scent of expensive perfume.
Lorenzo quickly placed a hand on Louis's shoulder. "That's enough, Xanders. Tonight's for celebrating, not fighting over egos."