The Grand palais in Paris buzzed with electric anticipation, the opulent hall bathed in silver lights and futuristic displays that mirrored the cutting edge brilliance of the mind gathered there.
Representative from global tech giant mingled beneath a chandelier shaped like a motherboard, the air thick with champagne and competition.
It was the Annual Global Tech Innovation submit–an event that didn't just honour achievement, it defined the future.
The host's voice echoed through the hall, crisp and authoritative. "And now, the moment we've all been waiting for. The award for best tech company of the year goes to…"
A beat of silence swept the room, tension as sharp as the camera flashes stilled in the mid air.
"Synertek Dynamics!"
Gasps. Applause. A few stunned expressions from rival CEOs.
At the centre of it all, Samuel remained composed. Dressed in a tailored black suit that spoke of quiet dominance, he rose from his seat with the confidence of a man who had seen this long moment before it arrived.
His piercing gaze swept across the room as he adjusted his cufflinks and ascended the stage.
The hall erupted with a standing ovulation, yet he didn't smile.
He didn't need to.
This wasn't a victory by chance — it was the result if strategy, sleepless nights, and sacrifice.
As he took the glass award from the presenter's hands, cameras captured the exact moment Samuel Chase, the enigmatic founder of Synertek, officially became a legend in the tech world.
With a calm voice that silenced the room, he leaned into the mic.
"This isn't just a win for Synertek. This is a message — technology should not only solve problems, it should redefine possibility."
A hushed awe spread through the crowd. Even his competitor couldn't deny it.
Samuel hadn't just claimed the award.
He owned the night.
Bella sat at the elegantly dressed table reserved for Synertek Dynamics, her hands clasped in her lap, a composed smile fixed on her lips as applause echoed across the Grand Palais.
The dazzling lights overhead danced across her bronze toned gown but her eyes were only on one person.
Samuel Chase.
He stood on the stage, tall and magnetic, the engraved crystal award glinting in his hand. His voice deep, controlled, and laced with conviction - carried through the hall like a command.
Yet, with every word, Bella's heart twisted a little more.
Not once had he mentioned the team. Not once had he acknowledged the nights she stayed up drafting code fixes, overseeing testing cycles or managing crisis after crisis when the servers threatened to crash. While Samuel commanded the version, she had kept the machine alive driven it forward.
Synertek's success didn't belong to him alone. It was her fight too.
But to the world, it seemed like the genius billionaire had done it all.
She clutched her champagne glass a little tighter.
Still, she forced herself to smile as the spotlight returned to their table cameras flashing toward the team. She stood with the others, clapping along, even as her chest ached with the absence of recognition.
It wasn't about public applause —- Bella never cared for the limelight but it was about being seen. Being valued.
Then, she looked at Samuel again, and her gaze softened.
Because she remembered what he'd promised her, under the glow of Synertek's rooftop lights.
"After the award," he'd said, tuckling a strand of hair behind her ear, "when we're officially at the top — I want the world to know you're mine. We'll get married, Bella. No more secrets. Just us."
That promise was what kept her going. That hope was what allowed her to set aside the sting of being overlooked. Because tonight, the next chapter would begin. And maybe — just maybe – this was all part of a grander design.
A private win that would eclipse event this public one.
She exhaled slowly, letting the applause wash over her again, as Samuel began walking back toward their table — toward her.
Bella's straightened, heart racing not for the award they had just won, but for what she hoped was coming next.
****************************
The night air was cool and quiet, a stark contrast to the roaring applause and flashing lights they'd just left behind.
The black sedan glided through the Paris streets, the city lights casting a soft golden glow through the tinted windows. Indeed silence stretched between them, but it wasn't the uncomfortable kind— it was charged waiting.
Samuel sat beside Bella, his jacket undone, tie loosened, and his fingers tapping lightly against the armrest. He looked calm, even relaxed, but she could see the subtle tension in his jaw, the way his brows drew slightly inward every now and then— as if his mind was far ahead of them.
Bella started out the window, her fingers curled in her lap.
"You were incredible tonight," she said softly, breaking the silence.
He turned to her, the corner of his mouth lifting. "Thank you."
There it was again— that brevity. That carefully measured response. Her stomach tightened.
She shifted in her seat to face him more directly. " Congratulation, Samuel," she said softly, her voice holding a touch of warmth despite the weight in her chest. "We did it."
Samuel didn't look at her. He stared ahead, his expression unreadable. "Thank you," he replied simply.
Just that — no warmth, no shared joy, no acknowledgement of everything she had poured into the company beside him. He didn't even glance her way – the words fell flat between them, hollow.
Bella swallowed the sting. She had learned not to expect grand gestured from Samuel — but tonight, of all nights, she had hoped for at least a flicker of appreciation. After everything.
Still, she kept her voice steady as she turned to slightly toward him. "Now, we can spend the rest of our life together."
Samuel blinked, then finally look at her, "together, I don't understand."
Her lip parted, a small breath escaping before she answered, " you promised me—you said once Synertek win the top award and gain it recognition…..we wouldn't have to keep hiding," She rested her right hand on his shoulder. "That's you'd make me known to the world, that we'd start our life together. Officially."
He didn't respond right away.
Bella's gaze remained fixed on him, her heart thudding gently against her ribs.
"all I'm asking for a spotlight, Samuel," she said quietly, "but I'm tried of being in the background of a story I helped build."
He let out a slow exhale, his brow furrowing, "Bella