Chapter 1 - The Shattered Illusion
The massive crystal chandeliers were glowing brilliantly.
The expensive vintage champagne was flowing endlessly into crystal flutes.
And beneath the golden lights of the luxurious hotel ballroom, everyone believed they were witnessing a truly perfect evening.
Then a glass was thrown violently across the room.
Champagne spilled aggressively across the pregnant woman’s beautiful silk gown.
Every single conversation near the grand marble staircase suddenly stopped in dead silence.
The woman in the stunning emerald dress tightened her grip aggressively around her own wrist.
Her face remained completely calm, easily composed enough to fool the wealthy crowd.
But her dark eyes were burning intensely with something much more sinister.
"You really thought you could permanently replace me?" she whispered coldly.
For one terrifying second, the pregnant woman looked desperately toward the surrounding guests.
She was silently pleading for anyone in the elite crowd to step forward and help her.
No one moved a single muscle.
A violent, calculated shove sent her completely backward.
Her desperate hand missed the sturdy brass railing by mere inches.
Her body disappeared horrifyingly down the steep marble staircase.
Her expensive crystal clutch burst entirely open, scattering makeup and keys across the polished floor.
The woman in emerald above immediately raised her hands and claimed it was a terrible accident.
She pointed a trembling finger toward the spilled champagne on the marble steps.
She forced absolute confidence into her loud voice while sheer panic trembled beneath every spoken word.
But underneath a nearby cocktail table, a dark smartphone was still actively recording the entire scene.
Mia, bleeding and heavily bruised at the bottom of the stairs, slowly reached a shaking hand toward the device.
She knew the live recording would completely expose the wicked truth to the entire world.
Just as her fingers brushed the smooth screen, a heavy leather dress shoe stepped down firmly on her hand.
Mia gasped in sharp pain and looked up through her blurred vision.
It was her own husband, Julian, the billionaire CEO who was supposed to protect her.
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Julian leaned down, picked up the recording smartphone, and slipped it quietly into his tailored jacket.
"You really should have been much more careful on those slippery stairs, darling," Julian whispered with a cruel smile.
