Episode 1

The cold shine of the jewels reflected in Arthur's brown eyes as he listened to Vivian Miller's torrent of passionate words. She was dazzling, a socialite with sculpted beauty and an enviable bank account, the kind of woman many men would beg for a look from. But for Arthur, Vivian was just another trophy, a fleeting conquest in his collection of ephemeral pleasures.

Vivian came from a family of famous doctors who had built a large empire of hospitals and medical clinics throughout the country. A great empire in medicine for several generations.

"Arthur," she whispered, her voice choked with emotion, her delicate hands seeking his on the polished mahogany table of the exclusive restaurant. "I've fallen in love with you. Completely."

A slight smile, more sarcasm than kindness, curved Arthur's thin lips. He withdrew his hand, her touch now feeling sticky and uncomfortable. "Vivian," he began, his voice a tone lower than usual, laden with an elegant boredom. "You've fallen in love with the fantasy of Arthur Maldonado, the charming billionaire CEO. Not with me."

He picked up his glass of red wine, the ruby liquid swirling lazily as he watched her. There was genuine sadness in her eyes, a vulnerability he invariably ignored. For Arthur, love was a weakness, a breach in the armor he had carefully built around himself. The passionate declarations were a predictable inconvenience, a tedious side effect of his wealth and beauty.

"Don't say that," she insisted, tears now blurring her green eyes. "I know you..."

Arthur let out a short, dry laugh. "You know the facade, Vivian. The one that appears on magazine covers and attends charity auctions. The real Arthur Maldonado is a ruthless businessman, with limited time and zero interest in fairy tales."

He stood up, his gaze sweeping across the room with calculated impatience. "It was pleasant, Vivian. But I have appointments."

Without waiting for an answer, he walked away, leaving her alone with a broken heart and the painful realization that, for Arthur, love was an empty word, as insignificant as a zero to the right of his countless bank digits. This was his routine, a vicious cycle of conquests and discards, until the sudden and forced darkness confronted him with a vulnerability he never imagined possible.

The cold night breeze caressed Arthur's face as he left the restaurant, the muffled sound of classical music following him briefly before being drowned out by the powerful roar of his black McLaren's engine. He slid into the sports car, the soft leather of the seat enveloping him in a familiar and comforting embrace. The city sparkled before him, a sea of lights that always seemed to him a silent testament to his power and influence.

With a light touch on the accelerator, the car roared, propelling him onto the busy avenue. Arthur enjoyed the sensation of speed, the wind howling around the car, the adrenaline rushing through his veins. It was one of the few genuine emotions that still reached him amidst his opulent and, to him, superficial existence.

Lost in his thoughts, mentally reviewing the details of that morning's acquisition, Arthur didn't notice the blinding lights of an out-of-control truck invading the oncoming lane at high speed. The deafening sound of the horn sounded like a warning cry at the last instant, jolting him out of his concentration.

There was a fraction of a second of icy recognition, the belated realization of the imminent danger. Arthur tried to brake, his hands clenching on the steering wheel, but it was too late. The impact was brutal, a violent shock that shook the car to its core, as if an invisible giant had crushed it with one blow.

The sound of twisted metal and shattered glass echoed through the night, followed by a sepulchral and oppressive silence. Arthur's body was thrown against the seat belt with excruciating force, his head hitting violently against the inflating airbag. A sharp and searing pain exploded in his eyes, as if incandescent needles were piercing them.

Acrid smoke began to fill the interior of the destroyed car, the smell of gasoline lingering in the air. Arthur tried to open his eyes, but all he found was an impenetrable darkness, a black void that swallowed him completely. The pain throbbed in his head, waves of nausea washed over him, and a disorienting confusion prevented him from understanding what had happened.

He tried to move, but his body felt heavy, strangely disconnected. The metallic taste of blood invaded his mouth. Amidst the chaos of his dazed mind, a single and terrifying certainty began to emerge: the light, the world he had always dominated with a cold and calculating gaze, had gone out. The darkness, once a metaphor for his soul, was now a physical and relentless reality.

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