Olivia

    “Nice to meet you,” I said, matching her fake smile with one of my own.

    “Alexander’s told us so little about you,” Victoria continued, her voice honey–sweet with underlying venom. “Just that you work in the marketing department at Carter Enterprises.”

    “Junior executive,” I confirmed, lifting my chin slightly.

    “How quaint,” Victoria sipped her champagne. “Dating the boss. Very… traditional.”

    Alexander’s arm tightened around me. “Olivia is exceptionally talented. She’s being considered for a promotion.”

    “Is she?” Victoria raised a perfectly groomed eyebrow. “How fortunate for her to have such a supportive boyfriend.”

    Before I could respond, a man who looked like an older version of Alexander stepped forward. “Charles Carter,” he introduced himself. “Alexander’s father. This is my wife, Julia.”

    A stunning woman with ash–blonde hair nodded coolly. “Wee to our home, Olivia.”

    “Thank you for having me,” I replied automatically.

    “Drink?” Alexander asked, gesturing toward a bar cartden with crystal decanters.

    “Wine, please. White, if you have it.”

    Victoria snickered softly. “We have everything, darling. This isn’t a college dorm party.”

    I felt my cheeks heat, but kept my smile firmly in ce. “Red is fine too. I’m not picky.”

    “A quality Alexander clearly appreciates,” Victoria murmured, just loud enough for me to hear.

    Alexander returned with a ss of white wine, which I epted gratefully. The cool liquid soothed my dry throat as conversation resumed around us.

    “So, Olivia,” Margaret said, gesturing for me to sit beside her on a brocade sofa. “Alexander tells us you’re from Los Angeles originally?”

    “Yes, born and raised,” I confirmed, perching on the edge of the sofa. “My family still lives here.”

    Victoria rejoined us, settling gracefully into an armchair. “How did you and Alexander meet? He’s been surprisingly tight- lipped about it.”

    Alexander sat beside me, his thigh pressing against mine. The warmth of his body was distracting, especially with Victoria’s sharp gaze fixed on us. His hand found mine, thumb tracing small circles on my palm. “We actually met outside of work, before Olivia joined Carter Enterprises.”

    “Really?” Victoria’s perfectly sculpted eyebrow arched. “How convenient.”

    “It was fate,” Alexander replied smoothly, bringing my hand to his lips. The casual gesture sent a jolt through me that I hoped wasn’t visible to everyone watching.

    Victoria opened her mouth, no doubt ready with another barbedment, when Margaret cleared her throat.

    b1/3 /b

    “I believe dinner is ready,” she announced, rising gracefully. “Shall we move to the dining room?”

    The massive dining table could have seated twenty, but tonight it was set for just the immediate family. Crystal sses caught the light from an enormous chandelier, and fresh flowers scented the air. I tried not to look overwhelmed bas /bAlexander pulled out my chair.

    “Breathe,” he whispered in my car. “You’re doing great.”

    I settled into the chair, immediately intimidated by the array of silverware before me. Three forks? Two knives? What was that tiny spoon for?

    “Just work from the outside in,” Alexander murmured, noticing my panic.

    Harold was seated at the head of the table, with Margaret to his right. Alexander and I sat on one side, with Victoria and her husband Thomas directly across from us. Charles and Juliapleted the arrangement, with several empty chairs between ollius. /li/ol

    “So, Olivia,” Harold began as servers appeared with the first course, “Alexander tells me you work in marketing.”

    “Yes, sir. I’m a junior marketing executive at Carter Enterprises.”

    “She’s being modest,” Alexander interjected. “Olivia recently developed the entire campaign for FitLife that increased their conversion rate by thirty percent.”

    I blinked in surprise. How did he know that?

    “Is that so?” Harold’s eyebrows rose. “Impressive.”

    “Hardly revolutionary,” Victoriamented, delicately spearing a piece of asparagus. “FitLife is a simple ount.”

    “Simple ounts still require creative solutions,” I replied, surprising myself with my confidence. “And their ROI exceeded projections by forty percent.”

    Alexander squeezed my knee under the table, a silent gesture of support that made my skin tingle.

    “Marketing,” Charles sniffed. “Always seemed like glorified guesswork to me.”

    “It’s actually highly data–driven,” I said, warming to the topic. “We analyze consumer behavior patterns, market trends, andpetitivendscapes to create targeted strategies.”

    “Fascinating,” Margaret said, and she actually looked interested. “And how does one get into such a field?”

    As I exined my background, I felt myself rxing slightly. This was familiar territory; I could talk about marketing all day. Alexander’s hand remained on my knee, his thumb asionally stroking my skin through the fabric of my dress.

    The first course was followed by a second, then a third. The food was exquisite, and each te was a work of art that seemed a shame to disturb. I followed Alexander’s lead, carefully using the correct utensils and not embarrassing myself.

    “And your family, Olivia?” Margaret asked as the main course arrived. “What do they do?”

    “My father was in construction before his heart condition. My mother works as a school administrator. I have two brothers: Nichs is an engineer, and Ethan is finishing collegei./i”

    “How quaint,” Victoria murmured.

    “I find it refreshing,” Harold said unexpectedly. “A real working family. Not like some people who’ve never known a day’s honestbor.” His gaze swept meaningfully around the table.

    Alexander’s lips twitched. “Grandfather started as a dock worker, if I recall correctly.”

    “Damn right I did,” Harold confirmed, thumping his hand on the table. “Loaded cargo ships for twelve hours a day until I saved enough to buy my first warehouse.”

    “And look where that got you,” Margaret said fondly.

    “Which Alexander has expanded into tech, real estate, retail, and media,” Charles added, surprising me with what almost sounded like pride.

    “Not without help,” Victoria chimed in. “The board’s guidance has been instrumental.”

    “The board’s resistance, you mean,” Alexander countered. “If I’d listened to them, we’d still be exclusively in shipping.”

    “And we’d have fewer liabilities.” Thomas, Victoria’s husband, spoke for the first time.

    The conversation shifted to business matters, giving me a brief respite. I took a sip of wine, catching Alexander’s eye over the rim of my ss. He winked, and I nearly choked.

    “You alright, dear?” Margaret asked.

    “Fine,” I managed. “Just went down the wrong way.”