The ballroom roared.
Executive, investor, and reporter stood, crystal chandeliers mirrored across polished marble floors.
LAURENT HOLDINGS – FIFTEENTH ANNIVERSARY GALA glowed in gold letters on the giant LED screen behind the stage.
Aria Laurent stood outside the velvet curtain and peered through a narrow gap in the fabric at the celebration.
She was supposed to be smiling.
Instead she cast a third glance at the speech in her hands.
Damien had rung her forty minutes ago.
“The closing comments need work.
That was all he’d said.
No greeting.
No explanation.
Just another job.
Within twenty-three minutes she had re-written the address.
Just like she had re-written countless presentations, contracts and negotiations in the last seven years.
It wasn’t because she was working for Laurent Holdings.
It was because she loved the man that did it.
A stage hand came running toward her.
Mrs.
Laurent?
“Yes?
” “I was told by Mr.
Laurent to pick up the revised speech.
Aria passed over the folder, a small smile on her face.
Please remind him to slow down on last page.
He always rushes through that part.
The assistant blinked.You still remember that?
She laughed softly.
“I’ve heard him give this speech three times now.
The assistant smiled politely and ran toward the entrance to the stage.
Aria smoothed the front of her navy blue dress.
It was not the most expensive dress in the room.
She had not wanted it so.
“Tonight was Damien’s night”
She just wanted to be next to him when the cameras came for the annual anniversary photo.
That tradition never had changed.
Or so she thought.
Ladies and gentlemen…
The host’s voice boomed in the ballroom.
““Please welcome the President of Laurent Holdings…
The audience applauded.
Damien Laurent walked onto the stage with the casual confidence that had made him one of the youngest billionaire CEO’s in the country.
Tall.
Managed.
Dressed to the nines.
Each motion was a silent command.
Aria couldn’t deny he looked commanding, even after seven years of marriage.
Still her heart answered before her mind could tell it not to.
Damien took the mike.
Thank you .
The room fell silent all at once.
He talked about the company’s growth, the employees and the future with the calm precision investors loved.
Aria heard the words but she did not really hear them.
She knew every single line already.
Most of them she had written.
Then Damien turned the final page.
““Laurent Holdings has never been the success of one man.
He paused.
“It is there because of those that stood beside me when success was not guaranteed.
Aria felt a warm feeling in her heart.
Damien remembered her, in his own quiet way, every year.
He wasn’t a fan of public displays of affection.
She had come to terms with that years ago.
He looked at the audience.
“And there’s one person here tonight that I want to thank, especially.
Instinctively, Aria took a small step toward the entrance to the stage.
The spotlight moved across the ballroom.
It passed her by.
It proceeded toward the front row.
Then it stopped.
Vivienne Ashford got slowly to her feet.
The applause started right away.
Aria frowned.
Damien might have liked to recognize a few executives this year.
Vivienne smiled with practiced modesty.
“I don’t know if I deserve it.” “You do.” Damien’s voice was grave.
He spoke in an even tone.
Certain.
Without you the last three years would have been a lot harder.
Another ripple of applause ran through the ballroom.
Several of the reporters lifted cameras.
One said loudly, “So she’s the woman all the time talking about.
Another said, “They make a remarkable team.”
Flash.
*Blitz*
Flash.
And Aria waited on.
Any moment now…
Damien would set the record straight.
He would say, “My wife also deserves my thanks.
He said nothing.
Vivienne held out her hand to him.
“Come along with me.”
Vivienne paused for the briefest of moments.
Then she took his hand and walked up on stage next to him.
The crowd broke into louder applause.
The sound washed over her like waves.
Aria was behind the curtain.
Not that Vivienne was at the stage.
Because she had been standing there where Aria had stood every year since they were married.
‘Mr.
Laurent!’ yelled a photographer.
Miss Ashford!
“Come nearer, please.
Vivienne looked at Damien.
“We should explain— Damien glanced at the cameras.
He didn’t pull back.
He didn’t say anything.
Only with her he stayed.
Close enough that each picture tells the same story.
A young business journalist laughed.
“I see now why Laurent Holdings has been unstoppable.”
His colleague nodded.
“They look like the ideal power couple.
Aria’s fingers curled slowly around the edge of the curtain.
The ballroom misted.
Not because she was weeping.
Because something inside her had quietly broken.
She had spent years telling herself that Damien wasn’t cold.
Just working.
“Not far.
Reserved only.
Not at all unloving.
Just not comfortable to show it.
One at a time those excuses fell apart tonight.
Flash after flash of the cameras.
The clapping went on.
And for the first time since she’d been Aria Laurent…
She felt like a guest, watching another woman live out her marriage.
A quiet voice broke her train of thought.
“Mrs.
Laurent?”
She spun around.
Noah Sinclair stood behind her, his face creased with a frown.
He glanced at Aria, then at the stage.
And back again.
He didn’t ask what was the matter.
He knew.
Aria smiled, but her eyes didn’t smile.
“I’m all right.
Noah hesitated.”Mrs.
Laurent–”
Before he could say anything else, Aria’s phone vibrated in her clutch.
One time –
In contrast,
She glanced down.
An unidentified figure.
One message.
An attached PDF document.
Her thumb hovered above it, then opened it.
The title came up in bold black letters across the screen.
AGREEMENT FOR DIVORCE.
Aria glanced at the words.
For several long seconds.
.
.
She had forgotten where she was.
Aria looked at the screen for a long moment.
The words didn’t make sense.
Separation Agreement .
Somebody was playing a mean trick.
Her thumb shook as she flipped the document page.
Printed the first page.
The names at the top took the last air from her lungs.
Damien Laurent
Aria Laurent.
Her sight blurred.
She blinked hard and made herself keep reading.
Everything had already been arranged,
Division of marital property
The handing over of property.
Clauses of confidentiality.
Even the date to be signed.
Tomorrow
Nine o’clock in the morning.
This was not an idea in a document.
There was no debate.
It was a choice.
A short message appeared below the attachment.
Madame Laurent, I have prepared the agreement as per Mr.
Laurent’s instructions.
Please have a look at it before the meeting tomorrow.
No hello.
Sorry.
Another appointment.
Like the end of a 7 year marriage should be on someone’s calendar….Mrs.
Laurent?” ”
And Noah’s voice called her back.
“You’ve turned white.”
Aria locked the screen before he could read it.
It’s nothing.
He didn’t seem convinced.
She had worked with Noah for years now.
He knew when she was hiding something.
“Need me to fetch you some water?
She shook her head.
No.”
Another round of applause went up in the ballroom.
Damien finished his speech.
Then the host’s chirpy voice said, ““Let’s take one last picture to celebrate tonight’s success!
More cameras.
More clapping.
Aria raised her eyes to the stage.
Photographers shouted instructions as Vivienne stood next to Damien, naturally smiling.”Mr.
Laurent!
Look this way!
“A little nearer!”
Damien stayed still.
Nor did Vivienne.
From all sides…
They seemed to be the couple everyone expected them to be.
A painful realization dawned on Aria.
He was not giving her privacy.
He wasn’t dodging unwanted attention.
He just wasn’t guarding their marriage anymore.
She breathed slowly.
“Noah.
Yes?” “Will you do me a favor?
Okay.
Tell Mr.
Laurent I’ll be in the lounge east after the ceremony.”
Noah frowned.
Do I tell him it’s important?”
Aria gave a weak smile.
“”He’ll get it, I think.”
Noah nodded.
“I shall tell him at once.
“Thank you,” she said softly and walked away.
Each step was strangely light.
It was not that the pain was gone.
Because it was too heavy to carry in one load.
The east lounge looked out on the hotel gardens.
The sounds of celebration from inside the ballroom were faint now.
Aria stood by the window and looked out the fountain.
Its water rose and fell in perfect time.
As opposed to her thoughts.
She recalled another fountain.
Seven years ago.
Their wedding reception.
Neither had Damien smiled much that day.
His father had arranged the marriage after a financial crisis at Laurent Holdings.
The business interests of both families had been strengthened by the union.
People whispered it was a marriage of convenience
Aria had looked past them.
She thought that love could grow.
Not all of it at once.
But step by step.
She had watered a tree for seven years which had never taken root.
The lounge door swung open.
She didn’t need to look back.
She knew the sound of Damien’s footsteps.
Measured.
Sloooooow.
Always in command.
You wanted to see me?
His voice was low.
Professional.
Aria turned to him.
For a second she nearly forgot why she’d called him.
He looked just the same as that morning.
Written to perfection.
A dark strand of hair out of place.
No indication that anything in his world had changed.
Maybe….
Nothing had.
“I saw your speech.
Damien nodded once.?
“So?
So…
She looked at his face.
I thought you had something to tell.
He looked at her for a good few seconds.
“I have said all that I have to say,” in brief.
The words fell like a cold rain.
Aria pulled her phone out of her clutch.
She opened the message again, wordless, and held the screen out to him.
The document filled the display screen.
AGREEMENT FOR DIVORCE
Damien looked at it.
His face didn’t change.
No surprise.
Not shame.
No irritation, even.
Only silent acquiescence.
“I was going to tell you tomorrow.”
Aria chuckled.
Even she was startled at the sound.
“That’s what the lawyer told me before my husband could.” This was not supposed to be like this.
“No?
She looked into his eyes.
“Well, how was it supposed to happen, then?”
Silence.
The kind that answered more than words ever would.
“When did you make up your mind?” she whispered.
Damien looked away for a moment.
Not one specific moment.” “Then it was one year?”
He said nothing.
Two of them?
Nothing.
Three?
His jaw clenched.
Aria nodded slowly.
“I understand.” “No you don’t.”
His voice was steady.
This marriage has been over for a long time.”
She looked at him.
“Have we ever tried to fix it?” “We did our best.
“No.” She shook her head.
“I did try.
Silence again in the room.
Fireworks went off outside over the city skyline to celebrate Laurent Holdings anniversary.
Behind him, their colors were reflected in Damien’s glass.
Beautiful.
Concise.
Gone in a blink.
Aria looked at the man she had loved for most of her adulthood.
I have a question.”
His eyes met hers.
“If you can answer it honestly .
.
.”
She swallowed.
“”…I’ll sign anything you put in front of me.
Damien waited.
Her voice was barely above a whisper.
“”Did you ever love me?
That evening for the first time…
The billionaire who always has an answer…
Said nothing.
His silence was an answer.
Aria shut her eyes for a single heartbeat.
She opened her eyes again
The tears were over.
“So that’s my answer.”
She slipped the phone back into her bag.
Damien took a small step forward.
“Aria—” She raised a hand gently.
“No.” There was no anger in her voice.
No yelling.
Not your fault.
Just tired.
“I have spent seven years wishing tomorrow was different.”
Her lips were faintly smiling.
“I don’t think I have another tomorrow to give.
She walked toward the door.
Her hand was on the latch.
She said one final sentence without turning around.
See you at nine.
The door closed gently behind her.
Damien was left alone in the lounge.
Outside the ballroom guests were still celebrating the best year Laurent Holdings had ever had.
In the silent chamber…
For some reason …
he couldn’t explain
The victory was no longer a total one.