The trip to London had been Victoria’s idea.
Six months earlier, a small design hotel group had invited her to discuss a renovation project. She ran an independent interiors practice, still small enough that she handled proposals herself and knew which supplier invoices needed chasing.
The project was the largest opportunity her firm had received.
Ethan worked in investment advisory.
When she told him about the invitation, he offered to come.
“They might need financing introductions.”
Victoria agreed.
She wanted him there.
She imagined a few meetings, a dinner with the hotel team, and a weekend together afterward.
Their marriage had become efficient lately.
Shared calendars. Short conversations. Dinner plans canceled because one of them was working.
She hoped being away would help.
Ethan offered to organize the travel.
He liked managing upgrades, hotel arrangements, and airport transfers. Victoria was finishing presentation drawings and welcomed one less responsibility.
The previous evening, he collected her coat from the hallway.
“I’ll put it with the bags.”
At the airport, he went ahead to the gate while she took a call from her project manager.
When she followed, the airline app displayed an updated seat.
She noticed only that the boarding pass remained valid.
She had no reason to imagine the change meant more than an ordinary adjustment.
Now the flight attendant explained that Victoria’s reservation had been separated from Ethan’s booking and her seat reassigned.
She still had a ticket.
She could still travel.
Ethan had not removed her from the aircraft.
He had removed her from the picture he wanted to create when they arrived.
Victoria glanced at Sloane.
“You knew you were traveling with a married man?”
Sloane’s lips parted.
Ethan answered first.
“She’s traveling for work.”
“So am I.”
He looked annoyed.
“You don’t have to turn everything into a competition.”
Victoria almost laughed.
For months, she had been preparing the work.
Until this moment, she had not known there was a competition.
