ire sat at her desk, fingers tapping restlessly against the polished wood. The soft hum of her office seemed unusually loud as she stared nkly at her phone. Her mind was still reeling from the conversation she''d just had with Mr. Saint Laurent.


    "A


    Christmas party, ire. It''s time."


    His voice, full of warmth and gentle authority, echoed in her mind. He''d always spoken to her like she was a part of the family, which made the call all the more difficult to process.


    "But why me?" she had asked, trying to keep the disbelief out of her tone.


    "Because it''s been three years, dear," he had replied kindly. "You disappeared for too long. It''s time for the world - for your peers to know that ire Peterson is back. Hosting this party will show everyone that you are still a force to be reckoned with."


    She leaned back in her chair, pinching the bridge of her nose. The weight of his words pressed on her shoulders, and no matter how many times she tried to reject the idea, he had countered with an unshakeable faith in her.


    Earlier That Morning


    The phone call hade just as she was reviewing some reports. Sandra had barely announced it before she picked up, curiosity piqued. Mr. Saint Laurent didn''t often call her directly.


    "Good morning, ire," his voice had rumbled warmly.


    "Good morning, Mr. Saint Laurent," she greeted politely, though she felt a twinge of apprehension.


    "I''m sorry for interrupting your morning but I won''t take your time for too long. So, the reason why I called you is that I want you to host this year''s Christmas party," he said, his tone gentle but resolute.


    The air seemed to thin around her. She blinked, certain she had misheard. "I''m sorry, did you say me hosting the party?"


    "Yes," he affirmed. "It''s been too long since you''ve hosted anything. You''ve been back for months, and yet the world still doesn''t know that ire Peterson has returned. I think it''s time to change that."


    "Mr. Saint Laurent, I appreciate the sentiment, but I can''t." She sighed, her fingers tightening around the edge of her desk. "I''m swamped with work. There''s too much going on right now, and-"


    "I know you can do it," he interrupted gently. "You''ve always managed to bnce the impossible. This is important, ire. You need to remind everyone of who you are. And more importantly, you need to remind yourself."


    "Isn''t my appearance is not enough?" ire asks, slightly frowning.


    "Is not that it isn''t enough. I just feel like people doesn''t know about you more and I hate the fact that some people look down on you just because you are a woman. That isn''t what it''s supposed to be. They need to respect you ire and know about your existence."


    Her jaw clenched. She wasn''t ready for this. Not with Matthew in aa, his absence gnawing at the edges of her mind. "I don''t know if I can, Mr. Saint Laurent. Matthew always handled these things with me. Without him—"


    "Matthew would want you to do this," he said, his voice firm. "I know it''s hard, but you''re not alone. We''ll all be here to support you. You''ve never needed anyone to stand in front of you, ire. You''re strong enough to handle this."


    His faith in her was unwavering, and the warmth in his tone made her heart ache. She struggled to keep her voice steady. "I''ll think about it."


    "Don''t think too long," he replied softly. "This is an opportunity to show the world that ire Peterson is still standing tall. You owe it to yourself."


    As the call ended, ire had sat in stunned silence, the weight of his words slowly sinking in.


    Now, hourster, she still hadn''t moved from her seat. The memory of Matthew was a persistent ghost. They had nned so many of these events together, his insight and wit bncing her precision. The thought of hosting without him made her feel unmoored.


    Her phone buzzed, breaking her from her thoughts. She nced at the screen - Adrian.


    She hesitated a moment before picking up. "Hey," she said, trying to keep the weariness out of her voice.


    "Hey, yourself," Adrian replied, his voice tinged with concern. "I just found out what my grandfather asked you to do. ire, I''m so sorry. He shouldn''t have put you in that position."


    She sighed. "It''s okay, Adrian. He meant well."


    "I know he did," Adrian said gently, "but you shouldn''t have to do this if you don''t want to. You''ve been through enough."


    ire leaned back in her chair,


    closing her eyes. "It''s not that I don''t


    want to. It''s just... Matthew always


    e. It


    handled these things with me


    feels wrong to do it without him.”


    There was a pause on the line. "I understand," Adrian said finally. "But you don''t have to do it alone. Let me help you."


    "Adrian, no." She shook her head, though he couldn''t see it. "You''re busy enough as it is. Besides, I need to handle this on my own."


    "ire." His voice was firm but gentle. "You don''t have to handle everything alone. I want to help. Let me be there for you."


    She sighed, a mix of frustration and gratitude welling up inside her. "Adrian, I appreciate it, but—"


    "I''m not taking no for an answer," he cut in. "This isn''t just about the party. It''s about you. You''ve spent so long trying to be strong for everyone


    elet me be strong for you this


    time."


    en


    His words chipped away at the barriers she kept so carefully constructed. She took a shaky breath, her


    eyes misting slightly. "You''re relentless, you know that?"


    "I''ve been told," he replied with a chuckle. "So, what do you say?"


    A small smile crept onto her lips. "Okay. You can help."


    "Good," he said, relief evident in his voice. "We''ll make this the best damn Christmas party anyone''s ever seen."


    Sheughed softly. "Let''s not get ahead of ourselves."


    "Oh,e on, where''s your holiday spirit?" he teased.


    "It''s buried somewhere under a mountain of anxiety," she quipped, though her tone was lighter now.


    "We''ll dig it out," he promised. "One step at a time."


    As the call ended, ire felt a little of the weight lift off her shoulders. Adrian''s support made the task ahead seem just a bit more manageable.


    That evening, Adrian arrived at her apartment with a stack of papers and a determined smile. "Alright, party-nning session begins now."


    ire raised an eyebrow, amused. "You''re taking this very seriously."


    "Of course," he said, settling onto the couch beside her. "I can''t have the world thinking my girlfriend throws mediocre parties."


    "Is that a challenge?" she smirked.


    "Absolutely."


    They spent the next few hours going


    over details decorations, guest lists, catering options. Adrian''s enthusiasm was infectious, and despite her initial reluctance, ire


    found herself smiling more than she


    had in days.


    As they wrapped up for the night, Adrian leaned back, stretching his arms. "See? This isn''t so bad."


    ire nodded, a genuine smile on her face. "It''s not."


    He reached over and took her hand. "We''ve got this, ire."


    She squeezed his hand, warmth spreading through her chest. "Yeah. We do."


    For the first time in weeks, she felt like maybe, just maybe, everything would be okay.