Chapter 1
The cool white light of the high-ceilinged corridor reflected sharply off the polished marble floor. Maya lay curled on her side, her breath coming in shallow, ragged gasps. The tight light beige sleeveless dress clung to her body, doing nothing to shield her from the sharp, shooting pain radiating through her lower abdomen. At twenty-eight, with long dark hair tied back in a practical knot, she was nine months pregnant and entirely vulnerable. Standing directly over her was Elena, a vision of calculated malice in a strapless red satin dress with a high-slit skirt, her sleek updo immaculate and her long diamond earrings catching the chandelier's glitter. Elena pointed a manicured finger downward, her face twisted in a mask of manufactured fury as she screamed that Maya had attacked her. The sound echoed off the stone walls, carrying a desperate, theatrical edge designed to distort reality before anyone else could arrive to witness the scene. Maya squeezed her eyes shut, clutching her belly with both hands, trying desperately to protect her unborn child from the cold floor and the chaotic noise surrounding them. The sharp contrast between Elena’s vibrant red attire and Maya’s neutral beige tones created a stark visual divide on the pristine floor. Footsteps echoed heavily from the far end of the hallway, breaking through the ringing in Maya’s ears. A tall figure stepped through the massive double wooden doors. It was David, wearing a sharp black suit jacket over a crisp white collared shirt, his dark hair neatly parted and his clean-shaven face set in a stern, unreadable expression. He walked briskly toward the center of the conflict, his eyes darting between the two women. In a split second, Elena’s posture shifted dramatically. She dropped to her knees beside Maya, the sound of her fabricated sobbing instantly replacing her aggressive screams. Her shoulders shook with fake panic and deep distress as she looked up toward the approaching man, begging him to handle the situation in her favor. David stopped in his tracks, towering over the two women. He looked down with a confident, unwavering expression, showing no immediate sign of taking sides. Instead of engaging with Elena’s tears, he raised his arm and pointed a steady finger upward toward the ceiling, reminding them both of the mechanical eye recording every second of their interaction.
