EPISODE 10: THE CHOICE ## CHAPTER 1: THE CALENDAR The date circled in red on Elena's phone: March 15th. One year from their wedding day. The contract's end. She'd stopped thinking about it months ago—stopped counting days, stopped treating their marriage as temporary. But the calendar didn't care about feelings. The calendar only knew numbers. "You're staring at your phone again." James set down his coffee. "Something wrong?" "Just checking the date." "March 12th." "I know." She put the phone away. "Three days." Understanding flickered across his face. "Ah." "We haven't talked about it." "No. We haven't." The silence stretched. Outside the penthouse windows, San Francisco gleamed in morning light. "What happens on March 16th?" Elena asked finally. "After the contract ends?" "I suppose that depends on what we want to happen." "What do you want?" James was quiet for a long moment. Then: "I want to ask you a question. But I want you to know—whatever you answer, it changes nothing about how I feel." "That's ominous." "It's meant to be honest." He moved around the table, taking the chair beside hers. "Elena, the contract gave you an exit. A clean break, no questions, full financial settlement. You could walk away free and clear." "I know what the contract says." "And I need to know: do you want...