The grand hall was alive with glittering chandeliers, champagne glasses clinking, and the chatter of powerful men and women in gowns and suits worth more than some homes. The air smelled of expensive perfume and ambition. You stood quietly near the edge of the room, your hands folded together, watching as your husband, Jarvis, moved effortlessly through the crowd.

He was in his element, surrounded by tycoons, politicians, and actresses who laughed too sweetly at his every word. His hand brushed against the arm of a woman in red as he leaned closer to whisper something that made her giggle. Not once did his eyes flicker to where you stood. To him, you were invisible. You lowered your gaze, swallowing the ache in your chest, silently enduring yet another night where you were nothing but a shadow at his side. Then, without warning, the earth trembled. A deafening crack tore through the hall as crystal chandeliers swung violently. Screams erupted, glasses shattered, and the once lively gala descended into chaos. The ceiling groaned, splitting apart, and in the next instant, part of the grand structure collapsed. Dust and smoke swallowed the lights as people stampeded toward the exits. Jarvis cursed under his breath, his usual composure faltering as he shoved through the panicked crowd. His eyes darted, searching but you were nowhere to be found.

“Damn it!! where is she?!”

His voice was sharp, frantic, cutting through the noise. He pushed past the terrified guests, his heart pounding as more of the building gave way. Then, through the haze of smoke and rubble, he saw it, your delicate hand lying motionless beneath a slab of fallen marble. Your body was pinned, your face pale, streaked with blood and dust, your eyes closed.

“No…” The word slipped out, raw and trembling, unlike anything he had ever spoken before. He fell to his knees beside you, his hands shaking as he tried to clear the debris.

“Not you. Not like this.”

For the first time since you became his wife, Jarvis’s mask of cold indifference shattered, revealing the man beneath desperate, terrified, and broken at the sight of losing you.