CHAPTER 33

The evening was still, the soft hum of the air conditioner the only sound filling the grand dining room. I sat at the table, poking at the food on my plate without any real appetite. My mind was racing, stuck in a loop of the chaotic board meeting. Their words echoed in my head: unqualified, unworthy, only here because of Thiago.

The board didn’t respect me. And as much as I tried to brush it off, it hurt more than I cared to admit. I was too deep in thought to even notice when Thiago started speaking.

"Wifey?" Thiago’s deep voice snapped me out of my daze. I looked up to see him watching me, his brow slightly furrowed. "You’ve been miles away this whole time. Are you going to tell me what’s going on?"

I sighed, putting my fork down. "It’s nothing, darling. Just... work stuff."

He narrowed his eyes slightly, not buying my deflection. Thiago was always sharp, always attuned to my mood in ways that made it impossible to hide anything from him. But tonight, I didn’t feel like talking. N