Leaving the bunker of my apartment was like stepping onto a stage under a blinding, hostile spotlight. The city, which had always been my professional playground, felt suddenly foreign, every pair of eyes a potential critic, every whisper a fragment of a story I hadn’t authorised.Derek was my anchor. Dressed in a charcoal sweater and trousers that managed to look both effortless and commanding, he was no longer just my boyfriend or my fake date. He was my co-commander. As the town car navigated towards Midtown, he laid out the strategy with a calm that soothed my frayed nerves.“The goal today isn’t to apologise or explain,” he said, his gaze fixed on the passing streets. “It’s to reaffirm. You are Maya Chen of Sterling Events. You are at the top of your field. A personal moment, however pu
