Ethan
The gala invitation arrived on embossed cardstock, hand delivered by a courier who waited while I signed for it, as though the Ashford family needed physical proof I'd received it before they'd trust my attendance. Celebrating Five Years of Love, the card read, in elegant script that made something in my chest twist with a bitterness I hadn't fully anticipated.
I stared at it for a long time before setting it on my desk, unable to decide whether the invitation felt more like an insult or a genuine test of everything I'd been circling toward with Clara these past weeks.
Priya knocked on my open door a few minutes later, catching me still staring at the card. "You've received the Ashford anniversary invitation, I take it."
"I have."
"Attendance is expected, given the partnership o
