Chapter 70: The Crown of Her NamePOV: AleiraThe cold wind of dawn hadn’t yet lifted the mist blanketing the city when I stepped onto the rooftop of Montenegro Enterprises. A place that once felt like a distant dream now stood beneath my heels—real, intimidating, and mine to face. I gazed at the horizon, its gentle light breaking through the night like the first promise of freedom.Today, I would no longer hide.Today, I would claim the name that was rightfully mine.Below me, the press conference had already begun. Cameras flashed, journalists buzzed, and whispers of the scandal that once defined me floated like smoke across the venue. It had taken days to prepare this—an unexpected collaboration between Lim Industries and Montenegro Enterprises to formally introduce a new era of partnership. But there was more to this gathering than corporate strategy.There was me.I looked over the side to the garden below where my daughter played with Brent’s younger sister, Chloe. Lara’s soft g
Chapter 69: The Real ProposalPOV: AleiraThe Lim Foundation Gala was the event of the year. Held at the grand ballroom of the Diamond Royale Hotel, the venue glittered with golden chandeliers and was filled with the elite of Philippine high society. Media personalities, business tycoons, and political figures buzzed through the hall, raising champagne flutes and exchanging polite conversations behind painted smiles. But I barely noticed any of them.My heart pounded.I stood near the marble staircase in a long ivory gown lent to me by a kind Lim family stylist. It shimmered subtly with every step I took, but inside, I didn’t feel like I belonged in something so grand. Henry Lim had insisted I attend, especially after the fake scandal that recently shook the media. He believed I needed to stand tall and visible.“You are not a secret,” Henry had told me earlier that week. “Let them whisper. You stand tall and let them know who they’re whispering about.”His words gave me courage, but
Chapter 68: The ArrestPOV: Brent MontenegroThe ticking of the clock in my office had never felt so loud.Each second that passed echoed like a war drum inside my head. The documents in front of me were more than enough proof of betrayal—Michael De Leon’s alliance with Sofia, the forged documents, the blackmail materials they used to defame Aleira. I clenched my jaw.He wasn’t just a mistake from Aleira’s past anymore. He was a criminal—and he had dared to touch what was mine."Sir, the investigators are on standby," Adrian said from the doorway, his usual charm replaced by a solemn calm. "They’re ready to take him in."I nodded. "And the files?"Adrian held up a folder. "Everything's in here. Witness statements, audio recordings, the digital footprint. It’s airtight."I took the folder and stared at Michael’s smug face in the attached photo.He thought he could ruin Aleira and get away with it.He thought wrong.---We arranged a private meeting under the pretense of settling a busi
Chapter 67: Exposing the Web POV: BrentThe boardroom at Montenegro Enterprises was cold—sterile and oppressively silent. But beneath the sleek glass table and the whispering AC, something volatile brewed.I looked at the files before me, thick with evidence. Documents Adrian and I had gathered with the help of our private legal team, plus footage and testimonies from anonymous sources. It was all there—proof of how Sofia and Michael had worked hand-in-hand to destroy Aleira’s reputation.And the worst part?My parents had silently approved it all.I clenched my fists beneath the table.“I didn’t raise you to question your family like this,” my father growled, arms crossed, lips drawn in a deep frown.“Then maybe you shouldn’t have allowed our family to lie, manipulate, and destroy an innocent woman,” I snapped.Carmen’s eyes flickered, but she said nothing. Sofia sat beside her like a statue, composed and poised in her crimson suit, but I could see her knuckles tightening. Michael,
Chapter 66: The Truth RevealedPOV: Brent MontenegroThe soft hum of the air conditioner was the only sound in my office. Outside the tall glass windows, the city glittered with lights that held no comfort. I leaned back in my leather chair, fingers steepled beneath my chin, as the final recording from my private investigator played on the screen.“Are you sure this will make her go away?” Sofia’s voice echoed, smug and sharp.Michael's voice followed, “Don’t worry. Once this reaches Don Alfredo, Aleira will be out of Brent’s life for good.”I paused the video and stared at the screen.This—this was what had been happening behind my back all along.The knot in my chest tightened, anger mixing with guilt. Carmen had given me subtle warnings, always pushing for Sofia, always criticizing Aleira. I thought she was just being herself. But I never thought it went this deep.And now… now I realized I had let Aleira face all of it alone.I opened another file on the screen: the receipt of a b
Chapter 65: A Child’s PrayerPOV: AleiraThe rain tapped softly against the windowpane of our small apartment, a gentle rhythm that matched the heaviness in my chest. Lara was unusually quiet that evening, curled up on the couch with her stuffed bunny—its ears already a little frayed from all the nights it had comforted her.I stirred the pot of sopas on the stove, the creamy aroma filling the room, but there was no comfort in the scent today. Something felt... off. Different. Heavier."Mommy?" Lara’s soft voice broke through the silence.I turned, smiling gently. "Yes, baby?"She hugged her bunny tighter. "Is Mr. Brent mad at me?"My breath caught in my throat. I knelt beside her, brushing her bangs back. "No, sweetheart. Why would you think that?"She looked down, fingers playing with the bunny’s worn ribbon. "He hasn’t visited. Not even a call. He promised to teach me how to make pancakes, remember?"I swallowed hard, the lump in my throat growing heavier. "I know, baby... Brent’s