secretly fell in love

His name was Alexey—the richest and most powerful man on Earth. I was madly in love with him, but I never had the courage to confess. That evening, he invited me to a social reception and insisted that we go together.

I wanted to refuse, afraid they'd find out. Finally, I threw on a scarf and agreed to go as "his wife." In our world, love between men was forbidden, and this seemed the only way out.

Alexey's colleagues surrounded him, whispering and bowing. One of them asked with a smile, "Is this your wife?" Alexey looked at me warmly. "Yes," he said confidently, hugging me.

When my colleague noticed the scarf, a sense of awkwardness filled the room. Alexey leaned closer, removed the scarf from my shoulders, and kissed me.