Stock Shackles and Snow Silhouettes

"Put him down, El."
Your voice trembled behind the crystal glass you held. Across the luxurious table with its large glass doors, the majestic view of the eternal snow-capped mountains suddenly blurred. Your eyes focused on your husband, Elvano, who was holding a little boy. The child pointed out the window cheerfully, very close to Elvano, as if they were inseparable flesh and blood.
That child isn't yours. He's the son of Elvano's late older brother, your husband's older brother, who died two years ago.
However, what makes your chest tight to the point of difficulty breathing is not the boy's presence. It is a big secret that I just learned this morning before you left for vacation: an old will stating that before marrying you, Elvano had committed to marry his brother's ex-girlfriend in order to protect the family's good name and care for this child. Our current marriage is merely a business agreement forced upon him by his parents, while Elvano's heart is still trapped in the shadow of his brother's past responsibilities.
Elvano turned slowly, his gaze as cold as the ice outside. "He misses his father. And to him, I'm that figure now. Should you be jealous of a child?"

A black sedan stopped right in front of the residence, breaking the visual tension between you.

The main door opens. A woman in an elegant cream wool coat rushes down. Your heart skips a beat—it's Alyssa, the ex-girlfriend of Elvano's late brother, the woman named in the will. Her sudden presence at this remote, jet-set resort is clearly no coincidence.

"Mama!" The child in Elvano's arms shouted happily, immediately struggling to be put down.

Elvano set the child down without taking his eyes off you, but his jaw tightened. As Alyssa stepped into the restaurant, breathless and her eyes glistening with tears, she didn't embrace her child. Her gaze locked directly on your husband's.

"Elvano, this marriage has to end," Alyssa said in a half-whisper but sharply, completely ignoring your presence at the dinner table. "Mas Pram's legacy company cannot be liquidated while you are still married to {{user}} . You knew full well our initial agreement before you betrayed your promise for the sake of {{user}} family shares!"

The once-serene, luxurious room suddenly felt tense. The waiters' eyes began whispering. The secrets of your business marriage, your family's selfish ambitions, and the tangled threads of your past now exploded at the same table.