THIRD PERSON POV

The atmosphere inside the ballroom had completely changed.

Earlier, Sophia had been the subject of judgment and curious whispers. Now, people looked at her with entirely different eyes.

Doctors who had ignored her before were approaching her table. Researchers were introducing themselves. Several guests even asked for her contact information after hearing Professor Archer’s announcement.

Sophia still felt a bit overwhelmed.

She wasn’t used to being the center of attention. For years, she’d lived in Damien’s shadow. People knew her as Mrs. Stone, Ashley’s mother, or Damien’s wife. Tonight was one of the first times people were seeing her as Sophia.

Lance seemed to notice how uncomfortable and overwhelmed she was getting.

While several guests continued speaking to them, he quietly reached for the pitcher of water sitting nearby. Without interrupting the conversation, he poured a fresh glass and placed it beside her.

"You should drink more water," he said softly.

Sophia looked up. The concern in his eyes was genuine.

She smiled "Thank you."

Lance smiled back "You’re still recovering. Don’t push yourself too hard."

One of Lance’s friend laughed "There he goes again."

Lance raised an eyebrow "What?"

The man pointed directly at Sophia "You’ve spent the entire evening taking care of her."

Several people chuckled.

Another doctor joined the conversation "First the alcohol situation."

A third person nodded and said "Then making sure she’s comfortable, and now you’re monitoring her water intake."

Sophia felt embarrassed. Her cheeks warmed.

"Lance doesn’t need to babysit me," she said.

"Oh, he absolutely does," one of the doctors replied.

Everyone laughed.

Even Lance looked amused.

The teasing continued.

"You don’t do this for anyone else."

"Not even close."

"I’ve known you for years."

One doctor pointed dramatically "I’ve never seen you pay this much attention to anybody."

The laughter grew louder.

Sophia lowered her eyes toward her glass. She suddenly found the water fascinating.

Beside her, Lance simply shook his head.

"You people have too much free time." Lance muttered.

"No," one of them replied "We just have eyes."

The atmosphere around the table became warmer and more relaxed.

For the first time all evening, Sophia found herself genuinely enjoying the dinner.

Unfortunately, someone else wasn’t enjoying it at all. Across the ballroom, Tiffany watched everything. She watched every bit of attention Sophia received.

Jealousy burned inside her chest.

It felt unbearable.

Just a few hours ago, she had been confident that she would be the most admired woman at the event. She had chosen her best dress. She’d prepared for conversations. She’d expected people to focus on her.

Instead, Sophia had somehow become the star of the evening.

Tiffany tightened her grip around her wine glass.

Nobody noticed her. Everyone was too busy paying attention to Sophia. The realization made her even angrier.

Meanwhile, the teasing at Sophia’s table continued.

One of Lance’s older colleagues leaned forward.

"So tell us the truth."

Lance sighed "I don’t like that look."

The man grinned "Too bad."

Several people laughed.

The colleague pointed toward Sophia "Is she special to you?"

Sophia nearly choked on her water.

The entire table suddenly became interested. Even people sitting nearby turned their heads.

Lance remained calm, far too calm. Sophia wished she possessed that level of composure.

The older doctor continued smiling as he asked "Well?"

Lance looked at him, then he glanced toward Sophia.

"She’s a remarkable person." He said genuinely.

Sophia’s heart skipped unexpectedly.

Lance continued speaking "She’s intelligent. She’s hardworking."

His eyes remained on Sophia as he spoke "She’s kind. She’s stronger than most people realize."

Sophia felt warmth spread through her chest.

Everyone listened. Nobody said anything.

Lance smiled "And yes. She holds a special place in my heart."

Everywhere was silent.

Several doctors nearly dropped their forks.

Sophia froze. The words echoed inside her head.

A special place in my heart.

For a moment, she didn’t know how to react.

The expression in Lance’s eyes wasn’t playful. It wasn’t teasing. It was sincere.

One of the doctors suddenly slapped the table and said "I knew it!"

Several people began teasing Lance.

Sophia’s face turned pink. She couldn’t even look at him.

The situation was becoming increasingly dangerous. People asked questions.

"What exactly does special place mean?"

"Are we talking friendship?"

"Or something else?"

Lance rubbed his forehead "You people are exhausting."

"No, answer the question."

"Exactly."

"We deserve answers."

The teasing only intensified. Lance looked around the table, then a mysterious smile appeared on his face.

"Let’s just call it a secret." He said.

The room exploded again with so many statements.

"A secret?"

"That’s not an answer."

Sophia couldn’t help smiling. The warmth inside her chest remained.

Unfortunately, someone else had heard every word - Zade. His wolf practically lost his mind. From across the table, he stared directly at Lance. His expression remained calm but his wolf wasn’t calm at all.

“Mine” his wolf growled.

The possessive beast repeated the word repeatedly.

Mine.

Zade hated every second of this, especially the way Sophia looked at Lance.

The situation irritated him.

Without warning, Zade stood. Everyone looked toward him.

Sophia blinked "What are you doing?"

Zade ignored the question. Instead, he removed his suit jacket.

Sophia’s eyes widened. Before she could react, he gently wrapped it around her shoulders.

The ballroom became quiet again.

Sophia stared at him "Zade."

"You looked cold." Zade said.

"I wasn’t cold."

"You look warmer now."

Lance looked entirely unimpressed.

Zade looked completely satisfied. His wolf purred happily.

“There, problem solved” Zade thought.

Everyone could clearly see whose jacket Sophia was wearing.

Sophia looked like she wanted the floor to swallow her.

The two men were impossible, absolutely impossible.

Meanwhile, Tiffany watched the entire thing. Her jealousy reached a new level.

She couldn’t understand it.

Why? Why was Sophia receiving this kind of attention?

Lance admired her. Zade practically worshipped her. Professor Archer supported her. Even Damien couldn’t stop looking at her.

The unfairness of it all filled Tiffany with bitterness.

She looked toward Damien. Her frustration immediately increased. Damien was staring at Sophia again. His eyes followed every interaction.

The realization hurt. Tiffany had worked for years to secure Damien’s attention, yet tonight, Sophia was attracting it effortlessly.

Tiffany felt humiliated.

The evening continued. People continued approaching Sophia. Some congratulated her regarding the PhD position. Others simply wanted to speak with her.

The attention no longer felt uncomfortable. Gradually, she began relaxing. For the first time in a long while, she felt confident.

Nearly an hour later, Professor Archer finally approached their table again.

His eyes immediately landed on Sophia, then he looked at Lance.

"I was hoping to borrow both of you." He said.

The table became curious. Everyone started whispering.

Lance looked surprised "Us?"

Professor Archer nodded "Yes."

Sophia sat straighter.

The professor smiled "I’d like to discuss something important."

Her curiosity immediately grew.

"What is it?" Sophia asked.

Professor Archer chuckled "If I tell you here, it won’t be private anymore."

Several people laughed.

The professor motioned toward a quieter area near the back of the venue.

"Come with me after dinner." He said, 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Sophia exchanged a glance with Lance. Neither of them knew what this was about.

Still, they both nodded "Of course."

Professor Archer looked pleased "Good."

Then he walked away. The moment he left, whispers immediately started again. People wondered what the discussion involved.

Research opportunities? Academic projects? Everyone had theories.

Across the ballroom, Tiffany watched Professor Archer walk away from Sophia and Lance.

Her frustration finally reached its peak. This looked like another opportunity, another recognition.

Everything seemed to be going Sophia’s way tonight.

Meanwhile, Sophia sat quietly in her chair, completely unaware of Tiffany’s thoughts. She was simply wondering what Professor Archer wanted to discuss.

Beside her, Lance looked equally curious.

Across from them, Zade looked suspicious.

And from the other side of the ballroom, Damien watched them all with emotions he could no longer untangle.