Melinda’s POV
I never liked red carpets.
Too polished. Too artificial.
Too many eyes looking for cracks in your skin or slip-ups in your tone.
But tonight wasn’t about me.
It was about the project.
Evoke: Phase Two — my firm’s flagship redevelopment for single mothers in the city’s lowest-income district. The one I nearly lost. The one James helped me reclaim.
The one we were finally unveiling.
I stood at the edge of the gala’s staging platform, ankle-deep in chiffon, holding my breath as the event coordinator gave a five-second countdown before I had to walk out and face what felt like the entire world.
Beside me, James adjusted his cufflink.
Not out of nerves.
Just habit.
“You okay?” he asked softly.
“No,” I said. “But I’ll fake it.”
He turned to me. Calm. Centered.
“You d
