On our third anniversary, my wife stood on another man's arm. When they asked who I was, she smiled and said, "No one worth mentioning." That was the night everything changed. It wasn't a photo dump. There was only one image and a simple caption. "Reconnecting with an old friend. Some things never change." Silas stared at the photo. What he saw certainly couldn't count as a casual meal with some prospective business partners. He recognized the restaurant in the background. It was Ardor, the top-rated fine dining restaurant that was the hardest place to book in Bellmere. Warm candlelight reflected off the silver cutlery. A bottle of Romanee-Conti sat on the table, already opened. The camera faced the opposite side of the table, its subject artfully blurred, but not enough. Even though Carlton had done a pretty sophisticated job of masking who it was, Silas still recognized her with a single glance. Her black blazer was slung over the back of her seat, and she sat there in just her white silk blouse. One hand, slender and steady, held a wine glass by the stem. Her nails had been painted a soft nude shade. On her wrist was a watch that gleamed in the light. There was not a single investor or project proposal in sight, only expensive red wine, candles, and two "old friends catching up". Right on the edge of the photo, a partially opened, deep-blue velvet gift box could be seen sitting on the table. Who knew what kind of "reunion gift" it housed? This was the emergency work meeting that Teresa talked about, the one that could bring her an additional two percent of yearly profits—the one that warranted her vexed chastisement over his immaturity. Silas stared at the glass of red wine glowing in the candlelight, his eyes seemingly burning from how bright the photo was. It hit him then. Teresa wasn't just a profit-driven robot after all. She was just as capable of romance and willing to spend her weekends having a romantic dinner with someone. However, she had extremely high standards for the candidates who could receive such a gesture from her. Expecting her to use her time on Silas was considered an immature request and the sign of a tantrum. But spending that time with Carlton, even when it was just to share a few glasses of red wine and catch up, could be framed as a strategic business move for the company.
