AFTERNOON - THE VOID
David remained kneeling on the floor, surrounded by shards of glass glittering in the sunlight. His body felt hollow, like a wind blowing through the luxurious room, carrying away half his soul. He heard the sound of Elara's car slowly fading into the distance, and every meter it traveled felt like a knife slicing through his chest.
He tried to stand, but his legs felt like stone. She really left.
The phrase echoed in his head,striking with a paralyzing force. David Yang, the business king feared by many, whose words could shake markets, was now helpless on the floor of his own home.
FLASHBACK: THE TURNING POINT
His mind drifted back seven years, to the first time he met Elara at an art gallery. Back then, David was a workaholic who believed life was about accumulation—power, wealth, influence. He saw Elara standing alone in front of an abstract painting, tears welling in her eyes. "This painting," she said to a friend David couldn't see, "reminds me that there is beauty in chaos."
David was captivated. Not just by her beauty, but by something within her—a soul that saw things money couldn't buy. He knew Elara was with Kael at the time. Their relationship was said to be serious. But David, who never wanted anything half-heartedly, decided he had to have her. He wooed her in his own way: not just with luxury, but by showing that he saw Elara, not just a beautiful woman. He listened to her dreams of opening an art center for underprivileged children, about her world that was more than just appearances.
And when Elara chose him, it was the greatest victory of David's life. More than any business deal. He promised himself he would be a worthy husband, that he would protect her happiness. But somewhere along the way, that promise was buried by busyness, pressure, and his desire to give her everything materially—except his actual time and presence.
OBSESSION AND FEAR
The phone in his hand felt heavy. David stared at the screen, looking at the dozens of unanswered calls to Elara. Each call that went to voicemail was a reminder of his failure. He was a man obsessed with control, but in love, he always felt on the brink of loss.
Kael. His name was like a ghost always lurking in the corner of his mind. David knew everything about the man. His modest background, his career at an NGO, the way he looked at Elara as if she were the only light in the room. David had hired a private investigator early in their marriage, just to make sure Kael had truly left the city. And when Kael returned a year ago, David's old fears resurfaced.
To him, Kael represented everything he couldn't give Elara: simplicity, sincerity, a past unburdened by social expectations. David could buy an island, but he couldn't buy Elara's youthful memories spent with Kael. He could give diamond necklaces, but he couldn't give the feeling of "enough" that Elara always seemed to have with her ex.
"You've always been jealous of him, haven't you?" Elara once said during an argument. "Because you think he loves me unconditionally, while you feel like you constantly have to prove something."
He denied it then. But deep down, he knew it was true.
DESPERATE PURSUIT
After two hours on his knees, David finally stood up. His body ached, but the pain in his heart was sharper. He walked to the garage, got into his sports car, and drove without a clear destination. Maybe to the luxury hotels where Elara might be staying. Maybe to Sofia's house.
At every red light, he checked his phone. No messages. No return calls. He tried again. "Your call has been forwarded to voicemail..."
Elara's voice on the voicemail sounded bright, recorded before everything began to crack. David listened to it repeatedly, as if he could hug the remnant of her presence.
"I have to find her," he muttered to himself, but even that determination felt empty. What would he say? How could he fix something that had been broken for too long?
He remembered the night Alisha was born. Elara was tired but glowing, holding their baby. "We're a family now," she whispered. "We'll do better than our parents did."
David promised then—to her, to Alisha, to himself. But those promises, like so many other things, were drowned in the busy currents of life.
RETURN TO THE EMPTY HOUSE
As the sun began to set, David returned to the penthouse. The room that usually felt like his fortress of strength now felt like a magnificent prison. Every corner reminded him of Elara: the art book left on the sofa, her fragrance still lingering in the air, her favorite high-heeled shoes neatly lined up by the door.
He walked to Alisha's room. His daughter was still at school, unaware that her little world would change when she returned later. David sat on the edge of her bed, holding the teddy bear Elara had bought for Alisha on her third birthday. How do I explain this to her? How can I be a good father when I've failed as a husband?
His phone vibrated again. Not Elara. Not Kael. But Natasha.
NATASHA'S MESSAGE: "David, I know this isn't the time. But what I know about Elara and Kael... it's more than just a chance meeting. They've been communicating regularly for the past six months. There are emails, messages. I have proof. If you want to know the truth, meet me tomorrow."
David read the message repeatedly. Part of him wanted to delete it, to ignore it because it came from a source clearly intent on causing division. But another part—the fearful, insecure part—was drawn. Did Elara lie? Does she still love Kael?
He stared at their shattered wedding photo on the floor. Elara's laughing face, her eyes looking at him with so much love. Was it all just an act?
NIGHTTIME - THE DECISION
Alisha returned with her driver. Her face was bright until she saw her father sitting alone in the living room, surrounded by a darkness that hadn't fully descended yet.
"Daddy? Where's Mommy?"
David took a deep breath,preparing the words he had rehearsed in his mind all afternoon. "Mommy... needs some time alone for a while, Sweetie. She'll pick you up tomorrow."
"Why? Did you fight again?"
"We...have a lot to think about."
Alisha sat next to him,resting her head on his arm. "I don't like it when you fight. The house feels cold."
That innocent statement pierced David deeper than any of Elara's accusations. He hugged his daughter tightly. "Daddy is sorry. Daddy will try to fix this."
But after Alisha fell asleep, David returned to his solitude. He stood on the balcony, looking out at the glittering city. He had built a kingdom from nothing, but tonight, he felt like a homeless man who had lost his home.
Because Elara was his home. Without her, all his achievements felt hollow. She taught him that life wasn't just about numbers on financial reports, but about laughter echoing through the hallway, about hands held in silence, about having someone who reminded you that you were more than just a headline.
David picked up his phone once more. This time, he didn't call Elara. He typed a message, his fingers trembling.
To Elara: "I won't stop looking for you. I won't stop fixing this. You said we need to do soul-searching. Fine. I will. But know this: even if you choose not to come back, my love for you will never end. Because you are the only one who ever made me understand the meaning of life. I'm sorry it took you leaving for me to realize that. Take care of yourself. Always, David."
He pressed send, then threw the phone onto the sofa. The message might not be replied to. It might not even be read. But he had to say it.
In the distance, the city lights twinkled like fallen stars. David stood on the balcony until the night air grew cold, feeling a loneliness so deep it felt like a hole in his chest.
The business lion had lost his queen. And without her, his kingdom felt like an empty golden cage.