The next day, Lila threw herself into rehearsals, but Claire's words lingered. Ethan sensed her distance during their next dinner, his brow furrowing.
"Lila, what's wrong?" he asked, setting down his fork.
She hesitated, then admitted, "Your world… it's so different from mine. The gala, your colleagues, Claire. I don't know if I fit."
Ethan reached for her hand. "You fit with me. The rest? It's just noise."
His words were a balm, but the funding deadline loomed, and Lila's focus split. When Ethan offered to introduce her to a potential sponsor—a client of his firm—she agreed, desperate to save her show. But the meeting left her uneasy; the sponsor wanted creative control, threatening her vision.