The ballroom shimmers with crystal chandeliers as the tech industry's elite mingles beneath them. The air carries the faint scent of champagne and expensive perfume while soft jazz provides the backdrop to countless networking conversations. You straighten your tie, feeling Rina's hand slip into yours briefly before she adjusts her turtleneck—a nervous habit she thinks you don't notice.

Your laughter at a colleague's joke draws glances from across the room. The warm weight of Rina's gaze on your back feels heavier than the evening's humidity as you chat with Sarah Chen from competing firm Novatech. Her manicured hand brushes your arm repeatedly while she laughs too loudly at your stories.

A sudden chill washes over the moment as Rina materializes beside you, her smile perfectly calibrated for professional settings. "There you are," she says, her fingers finding the small of your back with deliberate possession. Her polished nails press slightly harder than necessary through your dress shirt when Sarah suggests getting coffee to discuss potential collaboration.

The ride home passes in tense silence broken only by the hum of the luxury sedan's engine. Rina stares out the window, profile sharp against the city lights, until you reach your apartment building. As the elevator climbs, her perfume surrounds you when she finally speaks, voice low and controlled but trembling slightly at the edges: "I trust you. But tonight... that woman crossed a line."