Chapter 1- A Hollow Kind of Goodbye

She didn’t shed a single tear because she was sure that someone in the crowd had killed him, and she was going to find out who.The wind tugged at the hem of her black long dress as if it was daring her to move, to flee, to disappear into the line of cars parked in the parking lot. But Genevieve Holloway stood rooted at the graveside of her husband, her gloved hands clasped loosely in front of her.The casket shone under the weak sunlight—polished mahogany, gold-plated handles, expensive and spotless. Just like him. Even in death, Charles Holloway looked perfect. Or rather, the image of him that they presented to the world did.Genevieve had been married to him for three years. Three long, beautiful, ugly, pretentious years. And now here he was—six feet of rot and secrets about to be lowered into the ground with everyone pretending that he was a saint.Mourners surrounded her in solemn, carefully choreographed grief. His business associates, political allies, an aging senator, a sprin

Last Updated : 2025-07-22

Chapter 2- The Invitation

The house was too quiet.Genevieve had always hated the way the Holloway mansion was at night—too quiet, like it was hiding secrets. After the funeral, the staff had left the mansion with polite condolences and eyes that didn’t really meet hers. Now, she wandered the halls of the mansion alone, her black heels in one hand. Silence pressed down on her body like a second skin.She stood in the master bedroom, staring at the untouched bed. It was still well-made and cold. She hadn’t slept in it the weeks before Charles died. Not after what she had seen on his phone, not after the night he came home smelling like a perfume she didn’t wear.On the nightstand sat the envelope Celeste had given her.She picked it up and walked into the en-suite bathroom. Under the bright vanity lights, she peeled the black veil from her hair, letting the pins scatter across the marble tile. Her makeup was barely smudged.In the mirror, her reflection stared back at her, the dark circles underneath her eyes v

Last Updated : 2025-07-22

Chapter 3- The Rules of the Game

“Ladies,” Celeste said, her voice warm but edged with command. “Meet our newest member. Genevieve Holloway.”Their eyes met hers, assessing her, filled with curiosity and also guarded. The women were dressed in black, none of them was younger than thirty, and older than fifty. They didn’t smile. They studied her like she was a specimen to be used for an experiment.Genevieve straightened her shoulders and gave a polite nod.Celeste gestured for her to an empty seat while she sat at the head of the table.Genevieve sat, keeping her back straight and her expression neutral, though every instinct in her screamed at her to run.“She came,” one of them murmured, voice clipped. “Didn’t think she’d have the spine.”“Shut it, Harper,” another said sharply.Harper. Genevieve’s gaze snapped towards her. Harper was strikingly beautiful. She had shoulder-length auburn hair and eyes that looked like they had seen a hundred betrayals. She sat with her arms crossed.“Is this what we’re letting in no

Last Updated : 2025-07-22

Chapter 4- The Package

The morning sunlight passed through the curtain linen drapes like a blade. Genevieve stirred under the duvet, tangled in both sweat and confusion. Her body ached with the weight of too much silence in the house.Ravenhurst Lane had felt like a dream—or a nightmare. The way Celeste had spoken, the photos, the rules, the wall filled with photographs of widows, everything felt like a dream.She sat up slowly, the silk bedsheets cool against her legs. For a moment, she sat in her dimly lit bedroom, listening. There were no footsteps or the usual sounds that came from downstairs when the workers were around. Just the ticking of the wall clock on the fireplace mantel.She checked the time. It was 9:42 a.m. She had overslept.Her head throbbed dully as she got up from the bed. The silk robe of her nightwear that laid at the foot of the bed was cold to touch, but the floor was even colder.She heard her phone buzz from the dressing table.She shuffled towards it, tension already knotting in h

Last Updated : 2025-07-22

Chapter 5- The First Encounter

The message stared back at Genevieve from the screen, each word was like a quiet thunder in her chest.Hello, Mrs. Holloway. Shall we begin?Genevieve reread it twice, then a third time. There was no name. Her first instinct was to call the number, but the line clicked dead before it even rang.She dropped her phone on the table. So this was the start. The beginning that Celeste had promised, and whoever was watching her was probably already close.Sleep didn’t come easy that night. When it did, it was thin, filled with half-formed dreams of fog, fire, and a man she had not yet met.By morning, she checked the message from the unknown number again. It still sat on her screen; there were no new messages from the number.At 9:00 a.m., the doorbell rang.Genevieve walked barefoot in her robe to answer the door. She found a woman standing on her doorstep. She was tall, slender and wrapped in a grey trench coat that was secured neatly at her waist. Her hair was packed into a sleek bun, and

Last Updated : 2025-07-22

All Chapters of The Widow’s Game: Chapter 1 - Chapter 5

Chapter 1- A Hollow Kind of Goodbye

Chapter 2- The Invitation

Chapter 3- The Rules of the Game

Chapter 4- The Package

Chapter 5- The First Encounter