説明
Nathan’s birthday dinner was supposed to be perfect. I had planned it down to the last detail—the restaurant, the guest list, the ambiance. The Capital Grille in downtown Chicago had the perfect blend of elegance and warmth, a place worthy of celebrating the man I had spent twelve years building a life with. I had coordinated everything, ensuring that the evening would be a reflection of the life we had together, surrounded by family, friends, and laughter. For the first hour, it was exactly that. Nathan was in his element, his brother Daniel had flown in from Seattle, and my best friend Sophia gave me small, approving smiles every time Nathan reached for my hand under the table. The conversations flowed easily, the wine was poured generously, and the gentle hum of the restaurant blended seamlessly with the warmth of the occasion. I remember sitting there, feeling a quiet sense of pride, thinking that despite all the challenges, we had built something strong. Something worth celebrating. Then she walked in. Mira Hastings. I knew who she was before she even reached the table. Nathan had told me about her long ago, an ex from his past, a relationship that had supposedly ended long before I had come into the picture. I had never met her in person, never needed to. But I had seen photos, had heard her name in passing, had felt the weight of a woman who had once mattered in his life. I had never considered her a threat. Until that night. The moment she stepped into the room, I felt it. A shift. The kind of shift that signals something irreversible is about to happen. She was beautiful in the effortless way that some women are, with a quiet kind of confidence that spoke of privilege, of someone who was used to being noticed. And she was there for a reason. Nathan tensed beside me, his entire body going rigid as she approached. The moment stretched too long, his silence speaking louder than any greeting ever could. She stopped beside our table, her presence commanding attention in a way that made my stomach tighten. She smiled, smooth and poised, as she wished him a happy birthday.