Chapter 1 - The Perfect Christmas
Twenty-four hours earlier, Anna Halstead believed her marriage was merely tired.
She did not yet believe it was dead.
The Halstead mansion had been decorated for Christmas since the first week of December. Evergreen garlands curved along the staircase. Gold ribbons framed every doorway. The twelve-foot tree in the main drawing room had been covered with ornaments collected by Anna’s family over four generations.
Her late father had always said the house looked happiest at Christmas.
This year, however, it felt like a beautiful stage waiting for actors who had forgotten their lines.
Anna stood before the mirror in her emerald evening dress while Mark adjusted his black tie behind her.
“You look incredible,” he said.
He did not kiss her.
He had once kissed her shoulder whenever she dressed for a party. He had once made her laugh so hard that she had been unable to finish applying her makeup.
Now his eyes remained on his phone.
“Is that Jessica again?” Anna asked.
“Year-end reports.”
“It’s Christmas Eve.”
“Money doesn’t celebrate holidays.”
Mark gave her a distracted smile and left the room.
Anna watched the closed door.
For the past six months, Mark had become increasingly distant. He stayed at the office until midnight. He changed the password on his phone. He stopped discussing the future.
Whenever Anna asked whether something was wrong, he accused her of imagining problems because she was still grieving her father.
Perhaps Mark was right, she had told herself.
Her father’s death had placed Halstead Heritage Hotels entirely in her hands. Anna had inherited the controlling shares, while Mark had been appointed chief financial officer.
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She trusted him with the company because she trusted him with her life.
That evening, she would learn the difference between trust and blindness.
