Chapter 1 - The Empty Chair
The luxurious American dining room was bathed in the warm, flickering glow of expensive candlelight. A massive, perfectly roasted Thanksgiving turkey sat untouched in the center of the grand table, surrounded by crystal glasses and heavy silver platters.
But the beautiful holiday scene was completely, devastatingly empty.
Elena, a twenty-something woman wearing an elegant dark red dress, was sitting completely alone at the lavish Thanksgiving table. She was six months pregnant.
A medium cinematic shot captured the profound, agonizing heartbreak on her face. Heavy, burning tears ran silently down her cheeks.
She wasn't staring at the untouched food. She was staring directly at the empty, high-backed velvet chair across the table—her husband’s chair.
Valentino had called her two hours ago, claiming he was trapped at the corporate office handling a massive, unavoidable international merger. He had promised he would try to make it home for dessert.
Elena slowly, gently rubbed her pregnant stomach, her face twisting in pure, unadulterated devastation.
May you like
She held her sleek smartphone in her other hand, pressing the speaker tightly against her ear. She wasn't listening to a voicemail from the corporate office. She was listening to a live, active audio feed.
👉 What terrifying, undeniable betrayal is broadcasting through the phone?
