Chapter 1 - The Shattered Glass
The luxury Manhattan restaurant on the 58th floor buzzed with the quiet, expensive hum of the elite. Crystal chandeliers cast a warm, golden glow over the white tablecloths, and the breathtaking night view of the Empire State Building framed the massive windows.
Sitting at the best table in the house was Grant Hale. In his 30s, strikingly handsome with dark hair and wearing an impeccably sharp black suit, Grant was the ruthless, terrifying head of the city's most powerful crime syndicate.
Sitting across from him was his new girlfriend, Vanessa. Elegant, blonde, and wearing a shimmering gold silk evening gown, she was exactly the kind of high-society arm candy Grant preferred since his divorce nine months ago.
Grant raised a delicate crystal flute of vintage champagne, laughing at something Vanessa said.
Then, the waitress stepped up to their table.
Grant’s laughter died instantly. The crystal flute slipped from his fingers. It hit the marble floor with a sharp, violent crash, shattering into a hundred glittering pieces.
Standing right next to him was Emily.
His ex-wife.
She was 34 years old, her brown hair pulled back into a messy, exhausted ponytail. She wore the restaurant’s standard white shirt and black apron. But it wasn't the uniform that made Grant drop his glass.
It was the fact that Emily was heavily, undeniably, eight months pregnant.
Vanessa jumped slightly at the sound of the breaking glass. She looked at Grant, then glared up at the exhausted waitress.
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"Grant," Vanessa demanded, her voice loud and deeply suspicious in the quiet restaurant. "Is that baby yours?"
👉 How will Emily react to being publicly confronted by the man who abandoned her?
