The conference room at the event planning office was an explosion of color and chaos. Swatches of fabric in every shade imaginable lay scattered across the table, flanked by towering theme boards and half-empty plates of cake samples. The scent of vanilla and chocolate lingered in the air — but even that sweet distraction couldn’t soften the tension simmering between Isabelle and Sebastian.
It had been building all morning.
“I still think the hotel ballroom makes the most sense,” Sebastian said, his voice measured but firm as he flipped through a stack of venue brochures. “It’s spacious, elegant—”
“It’s impersonal,” Isabelle cut in, her frustration bleeding through. “We’re throwing a party for five-year-olds, Sebastian — not hosting a charity gala.”
Across the table, their actual five-
