Chapter 1 - The Chair Beside the Kitchen
A woman in a white dress sat alone near the kitchen door, whispering: "Maybe this is where people like me are supposed to sit."
When feared mafia boss Adrian Blackwood arrived, he noticed a torn place card beside the abandoned table.
On the back of the card, three words were written: "Not One Of Us."
Adrian suddenly realized this wasn't just a dinner arrangement.
Nora Whitmore had learned how to smile while being hurt.
That was the part people never understood.
Pain was easier to carry when everyone expected you to feel it.
For years, Nora had been the woman people politely welcomed but never truly accepted.
She was kind.
She was patient.
She always remembered birthdays, sent thank-you notes, and asked people how they were doing.
But somehow, every room she entered had a place prepared for her.
Just never a place beside everyone else.
That evening, inside the luxurious Whitmore family mansion, the pattern continued.
The dining room was filled with wealthy businessmen, elegant women wearing expensive jewelry, and families who had spent generations protecting their social image.
The main table was decorated with crystal glasses and golden candles.
Everyone had a seat.
Everyone except Nora.
A young hostess approached her with an uncomfortable smile.
"Nora, we prepared something more comfortable for you."
She pointed toward a small table near the kitchen entrance.
Nora looked at the empty chair.
Then at the crowded main table.
She understood immediately.
More comfortable.
That was the phrase people used when they wanted to make rejection sound kind.
"It's okay," Nora said softly.
She carried her own plate to the small table.
No one stopped her.
No one questioned it.
And that somehow hurt more.
From the corner of her eye, Nora saw people whispering.
She heard enough.
"She still comes to these events?"
"After everything?"
"She doesn't really fit this world."
Nora lowered her eyes.
She had heard worse.
Much worse.
Her late husband, Daniel Whitmore, had loved her exactly as she was.
He never cared about appearances.
He never cared about society's rules.
But after his death, Nora discovered something painful.
Without Daniel standing beside her, many people suddenly felt brave enough to show what they really thought.
She picked up her glass of water and forced herself to stay calm.
She promised herself she would survive one more dinner.
One more uncomfortable evening.
One more reminder that kindness did not always receive kindness back.
Then the mansion doors opened.
The room changed instantly.
Conversations stopped.
People turned.
Adrian Blackwood walked inside.
Everyone knew his name.
Not because he introduced himself.
Because everyone had heard stories.
He was a businessman.
A powerful man.
A person who could enter any room and make people lower their voices.
He wore a perfectly tailored black suit.
His expression was calm.
Almost unreadable.
Several guests immediately stood.
"Mr. Blackwood."
"Adrian."
"Welcome."
He acknowledged them with a small nod.
But he was not looking at them.
He was looking across the room.
At the woman sitting alone beside the kitchen.
Nora noticed him staring.
She quickly looked away.
She assumed he was judging her too.
She had become used to it.
Adrian slowly walked through the room.
People expected him to join the main table.
A seat had already been prepared for him.
The most important seat.
The one everyone wanted him to take.
But Adrian ignored it.
He stopped beside Nora.
The entire room became silent.
Nora looked up.
"Can I help you?"
Adrian looked at the empty chair beside her.
Then he pulled it out.
"I believe this seat is available."
Nora blinked.
She thought she misunderstood.
"Mr. Blackwood, you don't have to—"
"I know."
He sat down.
The whispers started immediately.
People looked shocked.
Confused.
Almost offended.
Because Adrian Blackwood had just chosen the one person everyone else had chosen to ignore.
Nora looked around the room.
For the first time that night, everyone was watching her.
But this time, she wasn't invisible.
Adrian leaned slightly closer.
"How long have they been doing this?"
Nora looked down.
"Doing what?"
"Making you feel like you should be grateful for a corner."
The words hit harder than she expected.
Because someone finally noticed.
Nora gave a small smile.
"It's not important."
Adrian studied her expression.
"People say that when something is very important."
Before Nora could answer, the host approached nervously.
"Mr. Blackwood, perhaps we should return to the main table."
Adrian looked at him.
"No."
The host froze.
Adrian placed his hand on the table.
"I'm exactly where I want to be."
Nobody spoke.
Nobody moved.
And then Nora noticed something strange.
The host wasn't angry.
He was afraid.
Because Adrian wasn't just choosing her.
He was challenging everyone in the room.
Later that evening, Nora would learn that the reason they feared him was not because of his power.
It was because he knew the truth about the Whitmore family.
A truth Nora had never been allowed to see.
As dinner continued, Adrian noticed something beside Nora's plate.
A small envelope.
Her name was written on it.
But before Nora could reach for it, the person standing behind her quietly took it away.
Adrian saw the movement.
He stood immediately.
"Put that back."
The room went silent.
The person holding the envelope slowly turned around.
May you like
And Adrian recognized the name written on the back of it...
TO BE CONTINUED.
