MARRIED TO MY RUTHLESS BOSS

ELEVEN; Gala Night

The charity gala was being held at the Plaza, and the guest list read like the business section of Forbes. Everyone important was there. Everyone who mattered. Everyone who was watching to see if Daniel Mallik had finally found his human side.

Sephora stood in the lobby wearing a emerald green gown that made her look like someone who belonged in this world of expensive suits and expensive people. Marcus had found something extraordinary, and she looked extraordinary in it.

Daniel arrived wearing a custom tuxedo that had been tailored to perfection. When he saw her, he stopped. Genuinely stopped. His breath caught in his chest, and for a moment, he forgot how to be the confident billionaire. He was just a man who'd seen something beautiful and couldn't look away.

'You're beautiful,' he said simply.

'You look pretty good yourself.' She smiled nervously. 'Is it too much? I've never been to one of these things.'

'It's perfect. You're perfect.'

He took her hand, and they walked into the ballroom together. The room stopped. Conversations paused. Eyes turned toward them—not because Daniel Mallik had arrived (they always did), but because he'd arrived with someone. And the way he was looking at her said everything about what that someone meant to him.

His mother appeared almost immediately, dressed in designer everything and wearing an expression that said she was very interested in who this woman was.

'Daniel, finally. And this must be...'

'Mom, this is Sephora. Sephora, this is my mother, Margaret Mallik.'

Margaret looked between them, assessing. 'Sephora. That's unusual.'

'My parents have unusual taste in names,' Sephora said with confidence. 'It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Mallik. Your son speaks highly of you.'

Daniel did no such thing, but Sephora was being gracious, and his mother noticed. She softened slightly.

'Well, I hope you're prepared for this life. It's not easy, being with Daniel. He works constantly. He's demanding. He's impossible, really.'

'I'm aware,' Sephora said, squeezing Daniel's hand. 'But he's worth it.'

Margaret smiled—a real smile, not the society smile she usually wore. 'I think I like you.'

Throughout the evening, they navigated the event together. Daniel introduced her to business associates. She made intelligent conversation with people twice her age. She didn't apologize for not knowing them, didn't try to be something she wasn't. She was just herself—confident, kind, real.

At one point, Daniel's business rival, Victoria Ashford, approached with a champagne glass and a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

'Daniel, darling. And who is this lovely woman?'

'This is Sephora. My date.'

'How charming. And what do you do, Sephora?'

'I work for Mallik Empire in administration. I also solve impossible problems when they arise.' She said it mildly, but there was steel underneath.

Victoria's smile tightened. 'How interesting. Well, I hope you enjoy the evening.'

After Victoria left, Daniel pulled Sephora onto the dance floor. The band was playing something slow, something perfect, something that felt designed for this moment.

'You were incredible,' he said as they danced.

'I was terrified. Your mother is intimidating, and that Victoria woman is clearly dangerous.'

'You handled them both perfectly.'

He pulled her closer, and she rested her head against his chest. To anyone watching, they looked like a couple. In this moment, they felt like one.

'I have to tell you something,' Daniel said quietly. 'I went to see Grandfather on Saturday.'

'How is he?'

'Tired. But when I told him about you, he was happy. Happier than I've seen him in months.' Daniel paused. 'He asked me to promise I'd tell you how I feel.'

'Daniel...'

'I know this is fast. I know we work together and that complicates everything. But I need you to know that this isn't about the merger or the investors or anything except the fact that I'm in love with you.'

Sephora stopped dancing. She looked up at him, and he could see the conflict on her face—the want and the fear and the impossibility of it all.

'Daniel, I—'

'You don't have to say it back. Not now. I just need you to know.'

The dance ended, and they moved off the floor. The evening continued around them—business deals being made, gossip being exchanged, the machinery of wealth grinding forward.

By the end of the night, there were photos. Of Daniel and Sephora arriving together. Of them dancing. Of him looking at her like she was his entire world. By Monday, the business press would be speculating about who this mystery woman was and where she'd come from.

But for now, in the quiet of his car as he drove her home, Daniel reached over and took her hand.

'Say something,' he said softly.

'I'm scared,' she admitted. 'Of how I feel about you. Of what happens if this ends. Of what happens if it doesn't end and I have to actually believe that someone like you could love someone like me.'

'I could,' he said. 'And I do.'

When he dropped her off at her apartment, he kissed her goodnight. It was soft and tender and full of promise.

And Sephora went inside and tried very hard not to believe that everything had just changed.