The ballroom had come to life once again. The initial tension from the confrontation between Ethan's grandmother and Victor had dissolved , and the laughter, the clink of glasses, and the murmur of voices filled the air.
Ethan stood at the center of it all, a glass of champagne in one hand and a warm smile on his face.
“Oh look who we have here,” Ethan muttered to himself.
Across the room, a familiar face waved at him. It was Carlos, the CEO of a tech firm. Ethan had met him sometime ago and had been impressed by his vision for the future of technology.
"Well, well, if it isn't the man of the hour," Carlos said, extending his hand with a grin. "You absolutely killed it with that speech, Ethan. I almost thought you were going to start quoting Shakespeare with the way you held the room'
