A Thoughtful Gesture, A Distant Gaze

Vivienne Dubois's smile faltered as she stood near the window of her penthouse apartment. Conversations swirled around her lavish gathering, but her thoughts were elsewhere. She checked her phone for the third time in fifteen minutes. Still no message from Damien.

"Waiting for someone important?" Miranda Phillips, a society columnist, slid up beside her with a calculating smile.

Vivienne composed herself quickly. "Just checking the time. The night is still young."

"And yet Damien Thorne is noticeably absent," Miranda observed, sipping her champagne. "I heard he's attending Clara Bellweather's birthday celebration instead."

"He's there on behalf of his mother," Vivienne explained smoothly. "Eleanor Thorne and Clara have been friends for decades. It would be rude not to send a representative."

Miranda's eyebrow arched. "A representative? Is that what he is tonight?"