Chapter 1 - The Birthday Toast
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The crystal chandelier in the private dining room of Marble Room downtown reflected off twelve polished champagne flutes.
Margot Carver adjusted the seating card near the head of the long mahogany table, ensuring the silver trim aligned perfectly with the silk napkin. For three straight weeks, she had coordinated every detail of Trevor Whitfield’s thirty-fifth birthday celebration. Between selecting the vintage wine and hand-checking the seating order, she had also spent her entire afternoon reviewing a eighty-page municipal permit packet that single-handedly protected his multimillion-dollar East Bank waterfront development from legal collapse.
Trevor stood up, smoothing the front of his tailored navy suit. He tapped his spoon against his glass, drawing the eyes of Cleveland’s wealthiest real estate investors.
"I want to thank everyone for coming tonight," Trevor began, his broad smile radiating confidence under the warm lights. "We stand on the precipice of transforming this city's waterfront. A fifty-million-dollar vision brought to life by hard work, vision, and determination."
He raised his glass toward his business partners, his sister Dana, and Briana Voss—the elegant heiress sitting directly to his right, wearing a diamond choker that cost more than a family home.
"To the future of Whitfield Development," Trevor proclaimed.
The table clinked their glasses in unison.
Margot smiled softly, waiting for the briefest mention of her name. She had sacrificed her weekends, her sleep, and her own consulting clients to fix his structural filings before the midnight municipal deadline.
Trevor set his glass down, looking over at Margot with a relaxed, amused grin.
"And of course, I must mention Margot," Trevor said, waving his hand dismissively toward her end of the table. "She’s practical, you see. Every man needs someone built for heavy work."
The room burst into light, polite laughter.
Briana Voss leaned back in her leather chair, resting her chin on her manicured hand, letting out a sharp, amused chuckle that cut straight through Margot’s chest.
May you like
Margot felt the blood drain from her face. She looked down at her hands, then back at the man she had promised to marry in six months.
"That was cruel, Trevor," Margot said quietly, her voice cutting cleanly across the lingering giggles.
