Chapter 1 - THE PARTY FOR A DEAD WOMAN
Victor Hale’s party began at eight and looked like a celebration nobody was willing to name.
The invitation called it a “Hale Holdings Winter Leadership Reception.”
Nobody believed that.
There were too many flowers.
Too much champagne.
Too many people congratulating Victor in voices that dropped the moment he turned away.
Three months had passed since Elena disappeared.
No body had been recovered.
The official search ended after twenty-three days.
Victor wore black.
Not mourning black.
Power black.
Tailored suit. White shirt. Black tie.
Serena Blake stood at his side in a silver evening dress, one hand resting comfortably on his arm.
She did not hide anymore.
That was the real announcement.
Near the fireplace, two guests spoke louder than they needed to.
“His wife dies, he gets fifty million.”
The other man took a drink.
“That wasn’t a tragedy. That was a business deal.”
Victor heard.
Everyone close enough knew he heard.
He slowly turned.
For one second, silence moved through the cluster around him.
Then Victor smiled.
He raised his champagne glass toward the two men.
“To imagination.”
A few people laughed nervously.
Victor drank.
Serena leaned toward him.
“You don’t have to pretend that doesn’t bother you.”
“It doesn’t.”
“You’re gripping the glass.”
Victor relaxed his hand.
“That’s why I have you.”
Serena smiled.
Then Victor looked toward the staircase.
A woman stood on the upper balcony.
Brown hair.
Pale face.
Dark winter dress.
Elena.
Victor stopped breathing.
The champagne glass lowered slowly.
The woman looked directly at him.
“No.”
Serena followed his stare.
“What?”
Victor stepped backward.
“Elena?”
The woman turned.
Walked away.
Victor shoved the glass into a waiter’s tray and ran.
“Victor!”
Serena followed.
He hit the stairs hard enough to nearly fall.
At the top, the hallway was empty.
“Elena!”
Nothing.
Then every light in the mansion went out.
Guests screamed downstairs.
Serena grabbed Victor’s arm in the dark.
“What is happening?”
Footsteps ran past them.
Fast.
Close.
Victor spun.
“Elena!”
Then something small and metallic rolled across the hardwood floor.
Emergency lighting flickered on.
Victor looked down.
A gold wedding ring stopped beside his shoe.
Elena’s wedding ring.
May you like
And inside the band, scratched into the gold, were three words only Victor would understand:
YOU LET GO.
