Ambitions Entwined

Chapter 9 | Navigating

The glittering chandelier cast a warm glow over the VIP room, illuminating the faces of the well-dressed couples mingling over champagne and hors d'oeuvres at the Investors's dinner for NexusWave. This was our first official event as an engaged couple. I stood at James's side, my hand resting lightly on his arm. We were the perfect picture of the happy couple.

But beneath the surface, I was a bundle of nerves. The eyes of every woman in the room seemed fixed on me, their gazes sharp and assessing as they took in my emerald cocktail dress and the large sapphire and opal ring glittering on my finger. I could practically hear their thoughts, the silent judgments and speculations about the new money who had snagged the city's most eligible bachelor.

James, of course, was the picture of calm. His charming smile never faltered as he worked the room, shaking hands and making small talk with the other investors and their wives. I tried to follow his lead, smiling and nodding at all the right moments, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I was an imposter, a fraud playing a role I had no right to claim.

As the evening wore on, the men gradually drifted away from their wives, forming small clusters around the room as they discussed business and politics. I found myself adrift in a sea of designer dresses and perfectly coiffed hair, the conversation around me turning to topics I had little experience with - organising charity auctions and society balls, the latest gossip about who was divorcing whom.

I tried to join in, offering tentative comments about my plans to host more events, but my words fell flat. These women had been born into this world and groomed for it since birth. I was an outsider, a newcomer playing a game I barely understood.

But what struck me most was how the other men talked about their wives while still in earshot. The casual dismissiveness and even outright disdain in their voices. They spoke of them as if they were children, silly creatures who couldn't possibly understand the vital work their husbands were doing - me included. James offered no witty comeback to shield me from their venomous words.

I felt my blood boil, my fingers clenching around the stem of my champagne glass as I heard them, to that far from us. How dare they? How dare they speak about us, the women who supported them and stood by their sides as if we were nothing more than pretty decorative accessories?

I was just about to open my mouth, to let loose with the scathing retort that was burning on the tip of my tongue, when I felt James's hand close around mine, his fingers warm and firm against my skin.

"Darling," he murmured, his voice low and intimate. "Come with me for a moment, will you?"

Before I could respond, he whisked me away from the group, his arm sliding around my waist as he drew me close. I could feel the eyes of the other couples on us and could practically hear the whispers and the speculations, but James didn't seem to care.

He led me out onto the balcony, the cool night air a welcome respite from the stuffiness of the VIP room. But before I could say a word, he was pulling me into his arms, his mouth finding mine in a kiss that stole the breath from my lungs.

I stiffened, my hands coming up to push against his chest and away from me. This wasn't part of the plan or what we had agreed upon. But James held me fast, his lips moving insistently over mine until I had no choice but to follow his lead.

When he finally pulled away, I was flushed and breathless, my head spinning from the intensity and surprise of the moment. James looked down at me, his eyes dark and unreadable in the dim light of the balcony.

"I know you're angry," he murmured, his thumb brushing over my lower lip. "But we have to be careful, Noreen. We can't afford to alienate these people, not when the future of NexusWave is riding on this deal."