The Virgin Surrogate And The Billionaire CEO

E

ver-present sense of unease. The marble lobby gleamed in the morning light, polished and cold. High ceilings reflected the faint sound

new it from the moment she stepped out of the cab. She had agreed to volunteer because Carmen insisted it was "good exposure," but ex

lls. Each painting was perfectly positioned, framed in gold, cared for with the precision she had never

epped aside, heart thumping. This wasn't her world, she had learned to stay small, move carefully, never draw attent

ne glasses from the prep table. "This should be fun,

erned and careless. Guests laughed, their voices low and confident. Diamonds sparkled in natural light, watches gleamed in the gl

. He wasn't laughing or speaking; he merely observed. When

not condescending, just... noticing. Evelyn's fingers tightened slig

on of being watched so deliberately. She couldn't recall the last time someone had looked at her wi

but the sense of being evaluated lingered. Every step, every careful placement

to blur together, but the elderly man remained at the edge of her awareness, occasionally g

unger men laughed loudly nearby, swinging their arms carelessly. One stumbled, nearly colliding wit

, but the weight behind it made her straighten inst

voice smaller this time. She stepped away, but the awareness of

smiles-but a subtle awareness gnawed at her. This wasn't admiration, it wasn't curiosity,

y from fatigue, and she realized she hadn't eaten since breakfast. She should have taken a break, but she didn't. She couldn't.

Evelyn didn't argue; she didn't have the energy. But she felt the truth of it keenly, as ke

gh the air. Evelyn noticed the disparity between their ease and her struggle. One wrong step here, one misstep there, and s

head slightly, studying the way she held herself, the careful balance between politeness and caution. Evelyn felt her pulse qu

let out a slow breath, almost imperceptible. But even as she resumed her work,

ted. Volunteers congregated in small groups, chattering quietly about the day. Evelyn moved to the door, bag in hand, ready to leave,

ified her, though s

lt heavy, laden with thoughts she didn't want to confront: her debts, her

window, hands clutching her bag. Somewhere in the back of her mind, a thought g

, the man had looked at her with amu