Unmasking His Deception

Synopsis

I stood in the corner of the grand ballroom, feeling like a sparrow among peacocks. The charity gala at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel was filled with Seattle's elite, their laughter echoing beneath crystal chandeliers as waiters in crisp black uniforms weaved through the crowd with flutes of champagne. My simple navy dress—the nicest thing I owned—felt woefully inadequate next to the designer gowns that sparkled under the golden light. Ryan hadn't spoken a word to me since we arrived. His jaw was set in that familiar tight line, the one that warned me not to speak unless spoken to. I'd learned to read his moods like weather patterns, to anticipate the storms before they broke. Tonight, his silence felt particularly heavy. "Your dress is wrinkled at the hem," he muttered, not bothering to look at me as he sipped his scotch. "I told you to have it professionally pressed." "I'm sorry," I said automatically, smoothing down the fabric with trembling fingers. "I thought the steamer would—" "Just stop talking, Chloe." He cut me off, checking his Rolex.