Struggling mechanic, single father, shop on the verge of foreclosure. You're exactly the type of charity case that makes her feel better about having more money than cents. Heat crawled up Ethan's neck, but he kept his voice level. You sound like someone who got dumped and never got over it. Marcus's expression went cold.
I broke up with her. Sure you did, because she's incapable of caring about anything except her company. You think you're special? You think she actually sees you as anything other than a distraction from quarterly reports? Marcus leaned in slightly.
She'll get tired of playing mechanic's girlfriend, and when she does, you'll be exactly where you were before, except now you'll have debt to her on top of everything else. Ethan wanted to throw his beer in Marcus' smug face. Wanted to defend Viven, defend himself, defend whatever fragile thing they were building together. But part of him, the scared, practical part that had been whispering doubt since the beginning, wondered if Marcus was right. Thanks for the advice, he said tightly.
I'll keep it in mind. You do that. Marcus straightened his cufflinks. And when she inevitable moves on, don't say I didn't warn you. He walked away, disappearing into the crowd.
And Ethan stood alone by the melted metal sculpture, feeling like he'd been punched in the stomach. Because what if Marcus was right? What if this whole thing, the dates, the contract, the suit, was just Viven trying to fix something broken? What if he was exactly what Marcus said, a charity case that made her feel better about her wealth? There you are.
Ethan turned to find Viven approaching, looking relieved. I thought I'd lost you. Helen talks forever about absolutely nothing. Are you okay? You look pale.
I'm fine, just not used to this crowd. Yeah, there are a lot. She took his hand, her fingers warm against his. Come on, there's someone I want you to meet. The director of the children's hospital we're supporting tonight.
She's actually interesting, unlike most people here. But Ethan couldn't shake Marcus' words as Vivien led him through the crowd. Charity case project distraction. They spent the next hour circulating, Viven introducing him to what felt like hundreds of people whose names he immediately forgot. Most were polite but distant, clearly unsure what to make of the mechanic on Vivien Hart's arm.
A few were openly curious, asking about his shop like it was some kind of exotic specimen they'd never encountered before. Dinner was served in the museum's Grand Hall, a five course meal that Ethan picked at. While conversations about market trends and political donations swirled around him, Vivien sat beside him, occasionally squeezing his hand under the table when she sensed him tensing. "You're doing great," she whispered during a lull. "I'm sitting here nodding while people talk about things I don't understand.
That's 90% of these events. Nobody actually knows what they're talking about. They're just better at pretending. " After dinner, there were speeches. The museum director, the hospital director, someone from the mayor's office. Ethan tuned most of it out, watching instead the way Viven's expression shifted when she thought no one was looking.