Chapter 2 - The Unseen Goodbye
The crowd broke into wild cheers as Adrian pulled Brooke into a passionate kiss.
"To Adrian and Brooke!" guests toasted, raising champagne flutes into the glittering air.
Adrian scanned the room briefly while holding Brooke by the waist. For a split second, his dark eyes swept past the floral arch. They passed right over Claire without stopping, as if his seven-month pregnant wife were nothing more than invisible air.
Claire didn't scream. She didn't drop her glass or make a scene.
Slowly, she turned her back on the celebration. The heartbreak in her eyes transformed into something sharp, cold, and absolute.
Her hand smoothed over her silk gown as she looked toward the grand marble staircase leading to the private executive quarters.
"You have no idea what I’m taking with me," Claire murmured under her breath, her voice dead silent, filled with an icy resolve that had taken months to cultivate.
She took her first step away from the crowd, leaving the music and laughter behind.
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"Enjoy your final night, Adrian," she whispered into the shadow of the staircase.
👉 Where was Claire heading while her husband was celebrating his public engagement?
