Chapter 6 - The Winter Gala
By mid-December, snow had transformed the town into a landscape of quiet white, dusting the stone façade of the downtown library and heavy pine branches along Stanton Avenue.
The Sterling Foundation's Annual Winter Gala was held at the historic Riverfront Pavilion—an event usually reserved for corporate donors, city officials, and high-society philanthropists. In previous years, Ethan had attended out of duty, staying sixty minutes, making polite conversation, and leaving early to return to his quiet, empty house.
This year was different.
The pavilion was decorated with warm white lights, evergreen garlands, and soft golden lanterns. At the center of the main hall stood a featured display: rare historic photographs and restored founding documents from the city archive, beautifully framed under museum-grade glass.
Sarah stood near the display, wearing an elegant emerald-green velvet dress that made her grey eyes shine. She moved through the crowd of executives and board members with effortless grace, explaining the historical significance of the documents to fascinated donors.
Ethan watched her from across the room, holding a glass of sparkling water.
Marcus Vance was standing near the bar, sipping scotch, looking sour as he watched city council members congratulate Sarah on the archive's digital expansion project.
Vance walked over to Ethan, trying to mask his bitterness behind a tight smile. "You turned a quiet library volunteer into the star of the evening, Ethan. I have to admit, it's quite the PR transformation."
Ethan didn't look at Vance; his gaze remained fixed on Sarah, who was currently laughing at something Councilman Henderson had said.
"It wasn't a PR transformation, Vance," Ethan replied calmly. "She was always brilliant. You just didn't look past the coat she was wearing."
Vance bristled, setting his glass down on a high-top table. "You spent a lot of capital protecting her, Sterling. Word is you've been seen having dinner with her every Wednesday."
"Word travels slow in your circle then," Ethan said, turning his head to look Vance straight in the eyes. "We eat together on Fridays and Sundays, too."
Vance blinked, caught off guard by the total lack of apology or secrecy in Ethan's tone. He opened his mouth to make another snide remark, but Ethan simply walked away, stepping through the crowd toward Sarah.
As Ethan reached her side, Sarah looked up, her face lighting up with a soft, intimate smile.
"Are you surviving the small talk?" Ethan asked quietly, leaning in close so only she could hear.
"I actually am," Sarah whispered back. "Councilman Henderson just pledged an additional ten thousand dollars for the historical map restoration."
"That's because you explained it like it mattered," Ethan said.
Sarah looked around the grand, warm room, then down at her velvet dress. "A month ago, I was holding a damp bus ticket in a diner, wondering if I'd have enough for next week's rent. Now I'm standing in a pavilion talking to city leaders."
She looked up into Ethan’s eyes, her expression becoming serious and incredibly tender. "You changed my life, Ethan."
May you like
Ethan took her hand in his, right there in the middle of the crowded ballroom, not caring who saw them.
"You restored mine, Sarah," Ethan whispered back. "Before I met you, I had everything money could buy, and I was starving. You brought life back to my table."
