Faking Mrs. Sterling

The Gala

Vivienne’s POV

The waiter returned to clear the table just as the conversation faded into silence again. The soft clink of plates and cutlery filled the space briefly before disappearing beneath the low music flowing through the restaurant.

I reached for my glass of water, taking a small sip.

“Would it be a problem?” Mrs. Sterling asked.

I looked up immediately. “Of course not, ma’am.”

A faint smile appeared on her lips.

“Don’t call me ma’am,” she said lightly. “Mrs. Sterling is fine. You make me sound much older than I actually am.”

“Of course, Mrs. Sterling.”

She dabbed the corner of her lips with her napkin before placing it neatly beside her plate.

For a second, her eyes rested on me thoughtfully.

“I’d really like to meet your family someday,” she said. “Families with money who prefer staying out of public circles are quite rare.”

The comment sounded casual enough.

Still, it felt like one of those statements meant to reveal more than it asked.

“I understand.”

“As you already know,” she continued calmly, “I’m very particular about the kind of woman allowed into my son’s life.”

My fingers tightened slightly around the glass before relaxing again.

“I can understand that too.”

“Especially after his ex-wife.”

There it was.

Softly spoken.

Perfectly controlled.

Yet sharp enough to leave a mark anyway.

Across the table, Dominic glanced up at his grandmother quietly. His expression didn’t change much, but children noticed more than adults liked to believe.

For a moment, I wondered if he could feel the tension sitting quietly between us.

“Grandma,” he suddenly asked, “can we get ice cream?”

The shift in atmosphere was immediate.

Mrs. Sterling looked at him, and some of the coldness left her expression almost instantly.

“No, Dominic. You’ve had enough sugar for tonight.”

She reached over to clean the corner of his lips with another tissue before returning her attention to me.

“Did Dominic’s driver bring you both here?”

“Yes.”

“Perfect. I asked my driver to leave earlier, so Dominic and I will head home with him.”

The words were polite.

The meaning beneath them was not.

Still, I smiled gently.

“I’ll find my way home.”

Something about my answer seemed to please her.

“Wouldn’t you come with us?” Dominic asked, turning toward me with visible disappointment.

The softness in his voice caught me off guard more than the question itself.

I smiled at him before I could help it.

“No. But I’ll see you tomorrow.”

That seemed enough to brighten his mood again.

And strangely, seeing him smile back at me warmed something deep inside my chest.

Mrs. Sterling noticed it too.

I could tell by the way her eyes lingered on us for half a second too long before she spoke again.

“I’ll let you know my schedule,” she said smoothly. “Then we can arrange a proper meeting with your parents.”

“Sure.”

She rose from her seat gracefully, smoothing one hand over the fabric of her dress.

“Goodnight, Vivienne.”

“Goodnight, Mrs. Sterling.”

Dominic slipped his hand into his grandmother’s before looking back at me one last time.

“Goodnight, Mum.”

The word fell so naturally from his lips this time that my heart reacted before my mind did.

A small ache.

Warm.

Unfamiliar.

Dangerous.

The word came naturally this time.

Soft.

Certain.

Like he had already accepted it somewhere in his little heart.

And somehow, that unsettled me more than the first time he had said it earlier that day.

Not because I disliked it.

But because a part of me had already started responding to it without caution.

I slowly lifted my eyes toward Mrs. Sterling.

For the briefest second, the elegant composure on her face seemed thinner than before, her expression unreadable as she watched the two of us.

Then, just as quickly, the mask returned.

I stood outside the restaurant with them for a few minutes, the cool night breeze brushing lightly against my skin as Dominic’s driver pulled up by the curb.

Dominic hugged me before getting into the car, already half-asleep and noticeably quieter than usual.

“See you tomorrow, Mum,” he mumbled sleepily.

My chest softened again at the word.

“See you tomorrow, sweetheart.”

Mrs. Sterling gave me one last unreadable look before sliding gracefully into the backseat beside him.

Then the car disappeared into the moving traffic, its taillights fading slowly into the city lights.

For a moment, I remained standing there.

Alone.

The night around me buzzed with distant traffic, soft laughter spilling from nearby restaurants, headlights flashing endlessly across wet asphalt.

I exhaled quietly before stepping away from the restaurant street toward the main express road where it would be easier to find a taxi.

Halfway there, my phone rang inside my bag.

The moment I saw Alex’s name across the screen, something inside me loosened instantly.

I answered before the second ring.

“Baby.”

His voice poured softly through the phone — low, warm, familiar enough to melt away the tension I hadn’t even realized I was still carrying.

And just like that, I smiled.

It was ridiculous how easily that man affected me.

“How are you?” I asked.

“Good. You?”

My smile deepened as I stepped closer to the roadside.

“Never been better.”

A quiet chuckle came from the other end.

“How did dinner go? I’m guessing my mother stressed you out.”

“Not really,” I replied honestly. “It actually went better than I expected.”

“See?” he said immediately, sounding almost proud of himself. “She’s not as bad as people think.”

I looked down the road, watching taxis speed past beneath the city lights.

“I know.”

The words came easily enough.

Believing them completely was another thing entirely.

“You’ll love her once you really get to know her.”

“Hm.”

A brief silence followed.

Not awkward.

Just familiar.

Comfortable.

“Where are you?” he asked after a moment.

“Trying to get a taxi. I’m heading home now.”

“Perfect timing. I’m on my way too.”

Something about hearing that warmed me unexpectedly.

“See you soon.”

We hung up shortly after.

By the time I got home, Alex was already there.

The soft light beneath the kitchen cabinets was on, filling the apartment with warmth.

And somehow, despite the fact that the apartment belonged to me, it no longer truly felt like mine alone anymore.

Not when his watch sat beside my sink.

Not when his clothes occupied part of my wardrobe.

Not when the smell of his cologne lingered in rooms long after he left.

It felt like ours now.

The thought should have terrified me more than it did.

I stepped into the kitchen quietly and found him standing by the counter preparing my favorite bedtime coffee like it was second nature to him already.

The sight alone made something ache softly inside my chest.

“Alex,” I called softly as I walked toward him.

Without hesitation, I wrapped my arms around him from behind.

He laughed quietly beneath his breath before turning around in my arms.

And then suddenly, I was the one being held instead.

Warmth surrounded me instantly.

Comfort.

Safety.

Home.

For a few seconds, neither of us spoke.

Alex rested his forehead lightly against mine before pressing a soft kiss against my forehead… then another against my lips.

Slow.

Patient.

Affectionate enough to make my heart stutter.

When I looked up at him again, he was already staring at me with that dangerous kind of intensity only he seemed capable of carrying so naturally.

Like I was the only thing currently existing in his world.

My breath caught slightly.

Then he lifted me effortlessly onto the kitchen island.

A surprised laugh escaped me as he stepped between my knees, smiling against my lips before kissing me again.

And again.

Until my laughter dissolved somewhere between his mouth and mine.

The kiss deepened slowly after that.

Unhurried.

His fingers slid gently along my back while my hands found their way around his neck instinctively, pulling him closer.

Every kiss from Alex felt intentional.

Like he was trying to memorize me rather than simply touch me.

The thought alone made my pulse quicken.

His lips trailed softly along my jaw before lowering to my neck, and I couldn’t stop the quiet sound that escaped me when his hand brushed against my waist.

“Lex…”

My voice barely sounded like mine anymore.

He kissed the sensitive spot beneath my ear once more before his fingers found the zipper at the back of my dress.

Then reality forced its way back into my head.

Work.

The unfinished files sitting on my laptop.

Tomorrow’s meeting.

My responsibilities.

I let out a soft breath against his shoulder.

“I need to work tonight, Lex,” I whispered reluctantly.

“Can’t it wait?” Alex murmured against my skin, his lips brushing slowly beneath my ear.

A shiver ran through me instantly.

“No,” I whispered, though my voice lacked conviction.

He clearly noticed.

Because instead of stopping, his hands tightened slightly around my waist while his lips continued trailing softly along my neck like he already knew exactly how to weaken my resolve.

I let out a quiet breath before forcing myself to focus.

“It’s about the Aurum Collective charity gala I told you about.”

That finally got his attention.

Alex pulled back slightly, his brows lifting as he looked at me properly.

“The gala?”

I nodded, unable to hide the excitement creeping into my expression anymore.

“I’m supposed to handle almost everything this time,” I admitted, my voice betraying me completely. “The media coordination, public presentations… all of it.”

For a second, he simply stared at me.

Then his entire face lit up.

“Wait— seriously?” he asked, smiling now. “Baby, that’s huge.”

I laughed softly at his reaction, suddenly feeling shy under the intensity of his excitement.

“Congratulations.” His hands slid up to my face before he kissed my forehead gently. “You should’ve told me earlier. We should be celebrating this.”

Warmth spread through my chest so quickly it almost hurt.

Because Alex never reacted to my achievements like they were small things.

He made them feel important.

Like I was important.

He reached up absently to ruffle my hair as he stepped away toward the small bar tucked beside the kitchen.

Normally, I hated when people touched my hair.

But somehow, I never really minded when it was him.

I watched quietly as he grabbed one of his favorite bottles of wine before taking out two glasses.

The soft clink of glass echoed lightly through the kitchen as he poured the wine carefully.

Then he walked back toward me and handed me one of the glasses.

He lifted his own slightly.

“To my incredibly talented girlfriend,” he said with an easy smile.

I laughed under my breath before lightly tapping my glass against his.

The sound rang softly between us.

I took a small sip of wine, letting the warmth settle slowly in my chest.

“You know,” Alex said after a moment, “if you need help with anything for work, you can always tell me.”

I opened my mouth to respond—

But my phone suddenly rang from inside my bag.

The sound cut through the moment instantly.

Alex reached for it before I could move, grabbing my phone from the shelf where I’d dropped my bag earlier.

“It’s Samantha,” he said, handing it to me.

The second I saw her name, a small crease formed between my brows.

Samantha rarely called this late unless something was wrong.

I answered immediately.

“Hey, Sam.”

“Good evening, V.”

Her voice sounded uneasy.

Almost nervous.

I straightened slightly without realizing it.

“What happened?”

“I—I know this might sound stupid,” she began quickly, “but I couldn’t sleep without telling you.”

The uneasy feeling in my stomach deepened instantly.

Alex noticed the shift in my expression almost immediately.

“I overheard Lucy and Amber talking earlier,” Samantha continued carefully. “They were saying the Aurum charity gala might actually be handed over to Celeste.”

The warmth from the wine disappeared from my body so fast it almost startled me.

My fingers tightened slightly around the glass.

“What?”

“She said something about the director discussing it with her,” Samantha rushed to explain. “I’m not completely sure, okay? I only overheard part of it.”

I bit down lightly on my lower lip, forcing myself to stay calm.

Of course.

Of course something like this would happen.

For weeks, I had practically lived inside preparations for that gala.

The presentations.

The planning drafts.

The media structure.

The guest coordination concepts.

I had barely slept properly.

And suddenly…

Celeste.

Again.

“V?” Samantha called softly.

I realized I still hadn’t responded.

“You know what,” she said quickly afterward, “it’s probably nothing. Lucy and Amber love spreading rumors anyway. I just… I don’t know. I got worried.”

Her voice softened with guilt.

“Sorry for bothering you with something that might not even be true.”

I closed my eyes briefly before exhaling slowly.

“It’s okay, Sam,” I said gently. “I’ll confirm everything tomorrow.”

“Okay. Goodnight, V.”

“Goodnight.”

The call ended.

Silence settled heavily around the kitchen afterward.

I slowly lowered the phone.

“What was that about?” Alex asked carefully.

“It’s work.”

“I figured that much.” His expression softened slightly as he stepped closer. “Is something wrong?”

I shook my head automatically.

“It’s nothing serious.

”The lie came too easily.

Alex studied me quietly for a moment.

“You know you can talk to me, right?”

“I know.”

“Then tell me.”

I looked down at the wine glass still resting in my hand, watching the liquid shift softly beneath the kitchen lights.

Then finally, I lifted my eyes back to his.

“Alex?”

“Hm?”

For the first time that night, my voice sounded smaller than I intended.

“Do you trust me?”