Isla POV

The room was quiet.

Nobody spoke. Nobody scrolled on their phone or shuffled their papers. They just sat in the particular stunned silence of people processing something unexpected, eyes darting between Mr. Vale and me.

Gerald's face had gone from white to a deep, ugly red.

He had accompanied Lucian Vale to every company gala for the past four years. It was his seat. His moment. The one evening on the calendar where he got to stand beside the most powerful man in the room and absorb some of that power by proximity.

And Mr. Vale had just given it to me.

In front of everyone.

"Sir—" Gerald...