Stephen and Nancy stepped out of the room. As soon as the door closed, he removed her hand from his arm.

Nancy shrugged and was unbothered.

They walked to the elevator.

“So, what’s your plan now?” she asked casually. It looks like you really hurt Ms. Yates tonight. How are you going to clean up the mess later?”

Stephen’s lips pressed into a hard line. His long fingers clenched into fists at his sides, but he didn’t answer.

All he could see in his mind was Tessa’s pale face and those wounded eyes.

The harsh words he’d spoken against his will hadn’t hurt her any less than they’d hurt him.

“As long as you never ask to break up, I’d never leave you.”

When he’d said that, he never imagined there’d come a day when he’d throw it back at her with a mocking smile and call it a childish lie.

Inside the presidential suite, the room fell into silence after the men left.

Naomi grabbed two bottles of top-shelf red wine from the minibar. “Tess, don’t waste your tears on that scumbag. He’s not worth it. We’re drinking until we drop tonight! You’re gorgeous and rich. What kind of man can’t you get?”

She popped the cork off one of the bottles. “The world’s full of men! Next time, I’ll order you some male escorts-ten of them!”

Tessa sat on the couch gloomily and couldn’t muster much enthusiasm.

Her head started to spin after a few glasses of wine. It was her first time drinking, after all.

Naomi, holding her glass in one hand and her phone in the other, opened her social media feed. “Listen, Tess, I’ve got a whole list of good-looking guys in my contacts. Look at this one-six foot two, eight-pack abs, and still in college.”

She leaned over to show Tessa the photo. “What do you think? Not bad, right?”

She almost added that while the guy wasn’t quite as handsome as Stephen, he was still considered a campus heartthrob. Plus, being a

college student, he had vein t

energy-something Stephen@ouldn’t compete with.

But the words died in her throat. She could not mention Stephen.

Tessa’s blurry gaze swept over the photo. She was tipsy and giggled softly. “Yeah, he’s pretty nice.”

“Right? I’ve got plenty more. Let me show you.” Naomi scrolled through her phone. “Check this one out-six foot three, plays sports, great physique. His tanned skin makes him seem kinda wild, you know? More masculine and sexy Do you want me to introduce you?”

Tessa, already lightheaded from the alcohol, laughed with a carefree tilt of her head. “Sure!”

Time flew by as the three women drank and chatted.

When the countdown to the new year began, they raised their glasses together. “Ten, nine, eight, seven…”

Their voices grew louder as the final seconds approached. “Three, two, one- Happy New Year!”

Fireworks exploded outside the window, lighting up the night sky with dazzling bursts of color.

Below, the streets buzzed with crowds, packed and lively.

Tessa sat cross-legged on the

cashmere rug by the floor-to-ceiling window, her bare feet tucked

beneath her as she gazed dreamily

at the fireworks.

A new year had begun.

“Stephen, it’s time to say goodbye.”

“May you be happy every day.”

“Goodbye, my Stephen.”