Chapter 57
The Gala (Part 3)
(Maya’s POV)
I’d spent most of the evening smiling politely, nodding through meaningless conversations, and pretending I wasn’t falling apart inside.
Laurent, ever the gentleman, had taken it upon himself to keep me near him at all times. Every time someone came to talk to us, his hand rested lightly on my back, it was a silent promise that I wasn’t alone.
“So, Professor Sinclair,” one of the senior doctors said, swirling his champagne, “how are you finding Paris this time around?”
“It feels more like home every day,” I answered automatically.
The man chuckled. “Well, if your research continues the way it has, it will be. The board is quite impressed with you.”
I smiled, thanked him, and moved on. Laurent guided me through clusters of people with quiet
