Several days had passed. "Finally... Elena, congratulations," Tamara said with teary eyes, hugging Elena tightly.Elena nodded slowly. "One year and six months of hard work building this Mall and now it's finally paying off."News of the inauguration of EMPIRE by Elena Mall had spread throughout the country and even internationally. The magnificent fashion mall that stands in the heart of the city has become the talk of the media. It is not just a shopping mall, but a world-class center for lifestyle, art and fashion. And what's even more remarkable is that all the building and interior designs were created by Elena herself."The architectural design is very futuristic, but still elegant," Tamara complimented, gazing at the building, which stood majestically with crystal glass walls and a giant crown-shaped chandelier installation in the main lobby.Elena smiles faintly. "I just wanted to create something that symbolizes the awakening of a woman. Not just for me, but for all women wh
Elena was talking to some Italian investors when Damian, in a black suit and silver tie, slowly walked up to her. His breathing was heavy. His eyes can't escape the face of the woman he once ignored-and now stands as a symbol of victory in the shining night."Elena..." Damian's voice rang out clearly despite the music playing softly in the background.Elena turned her head slowly. That piercing gaze was back on her, making Damian feel like he was standing in the middle of a court of law."I know it's not the right time. But if I keep waiting, I might never get the chance."The guests began to glance over. Some of Elena's colleagues stepped aside slowly, making room, aware of the tension that was beginning to build.Damian reached into the inside pocket of his jacket. He knelt in front of Elena. The black velvet box opened in his hand, revealing a diamond ring with a delicate carving in the shape of a miniature crown in the center. Some of the guests immediately gave a small exclamati
It was late at night when the inauguration party ended. The lights of the decorations were extinguished one by one, and the building was quiet, with only the sounds of the staff cleaning up.Meanwhile at home, Elena sat in the living room with a cup of chamomile tea. The dress she had worn to the event still clung to her body, but she had taken off her shoes. Her legs are propped up on the sofa, and she occasionally closes her eyes, trying to shake off the tiredness that sneaks up on her.Her children had already gone to their respective rooms. Alva, the youngest, even kissed Elena on the cheek before going upstairs. "Mommy is really pretty tonight," he said innocently before yawning widely. Elena just smiled as she ruffled her son's hair.Just as she was about to take another sip of her hot tea, one of the waiters came hurriedly."Sorry to interrupt, Mrs. Elena..."Elena opened her eyes. "What's wrong?""There's a guest outside, ma'am."The cup in Elena's hand almost slipped away. "W
The clock read 00:42. Elena had just changed out of her evening gown into champagne-colored satin pajamas. Her hair was loose, her face fresh despite the creeping tiredness. She turned off the living room light and stepped into the room, accompanied only by the sound of water gurgling from the small garden outside the window.Just as she was about to lay down on the soft bed, her cell phone vibrated softly on the nightstand.Holic Calling...Elena frowned. At this hour?She answered immediately. "Holic? What's wrong? You're calling at this time of night."The male voice on the other side sounded panicked. "I apologize for disturbing you at this hour, Mrs. Queen. But... it's urgent. Our branch company in Milan... we have a big problem."Elena sat up straight. "What problem? Explain.""This week, three big clients abruptly withdrew their cooperation. One of them is the Belucci Group. They said they no longer trust our management structure. And... there were rumors of embezzlement from o
At ten o'clock in the morning, Elena was already sitting in front of her laptop. Her hair was neatly tied up, light makeup adorning her face. Even though it was only an online meeting, her appearance still reflected the authority of a big company owner. In front of her, a cup of black coffee steamed slowly.The laptop screen displayed the serious faces of Queen Group's Italian management team. Holic sat in the center, wearing a dark blue suit. Next to him, several division heads were also ready with their notes."Good morning everyone," greeted Elena in a calm but firm voice."Good morning, Mrs. Elena," everyone replied in unison."Mistress Elena," Holic spoke up first, "thank you for taking the time this morning. We are ready to receive instructions."Elena gave a brief nod. "I have studied all the documents you sent last night. And, to be honest, I'm not satisfied. There are many irregularities that are obvious but you seem to have let them pass."Everyone in the room looked down. T
It was the morning after a week ago that Elena had settled matters at the company's branch in Italy. The sun was only partially shining on the balcony when Elena's cell phone notification beeped. She had just finished a light workout, sitting in the lounge with a glass of detox juice in hand.Her phone screen is full of notifications from Instagram, Twitter and even email. Her WhatsApp group is also unusually busy.Soon, Tamara's call came in."El, have you seen the news this morning?" Tamara's voice sounded panicked."No, I haven't. Why?" Elena took a sip of her juice, still relaxed."You have to watch the news on Twitter. Now!"Elena frowned, then opened Twitter. Within seconds, her eyes widened. The hashtag #ElenaQueenScandal was trending at number one. Many gossip accounts shared lewd video footage-with the caption: "Allegedly Elena Queen with a middle-aged man, is this how she gets investors?""WHAT IS THIS?!" Elena stood up reflexively, almost dropping the glass."That video ha
This morning, the Queen Group's New York branch office looked different. Not because of the usual bustle of energetic employees, but because of the tense atmosphere hanging around every corner. The company's stock has plummeted, making investors nervous and the media pouring news like oil on a burning fire.In the main meeting room, Elena sits at the end of the table. Her hair, usually flowing in a beautiful bun, is now tied up in a makeshift bun. Bags under her eyes adorned her face, which was beginning to look tired. In front of her, the PR, legal and public relations teams sat with worried looks on their faces."What about the last update?" asked Elena, her voice hoarse but firm.Mira, the head of the legal team, sighed. "Our stock is down again, 12 percent since this morning. Some investors are starting to question Queen Group's reputation and are considering withdrawing support.""The demo at Queen's Mall is also getting worse," Jessy from the PR team continued. "The crowd is sta
A while later. "This can't be... This guy's too sneaky," Nathan muttered, his eyes glued to the laptop screen that had just displayed the latest report from the digital tracking team.Mira nodded, her expression no less frustrated. "That guy erased the trail before we could identify the last IP point. We came close to finding the exact location, but somehow, the account just disappeared. All the records just vanished, like a ghost.""That guy's no amateur," Nathan rubbed his tired face. "This is clearly the work of someone who knows how to hide their identity... or has the help of a cyber insider."Elena stayed at the far end of the room, standing hugging herself. Her gaze was blank outside the window, staring at the buildings that had been a symbol of her former glory-which now felt like they were laughing at her."We almost knew who it was, but we failed," Mira said quietly."That means that person is still one step ahead of us," Elena replied quietly, her voice like mist covering
Chapter 88 - Damian's rageThe sound of a car door closing loudly boomed in the hotel's basement parking lot. Damian pushed Isabella into the back seat of their black SUV. His face was red, his eyes blazing wildly."Shut up! Don't open your mouth one word!" he hissed, breath catching.Isabella staggered into the car, her feet dragging on the floor. As soon as the door closed, Damian entered from the other side, sitting next to her, immediately closing the glass partition between them and the driver."I ask you again, ISABELLA-IS THIS TRUE?!"Isabella twisted her body, her face still wet with tears. "Damian... I can explain...""EXPLAIN?!" Damian shouted so loudly that the window shook. "The whole world saw that video! That's your face! Your body! In a hotel bed with a fucking stranger! You... You've ruined my reputation!"Isabella grabbed Damian's arm. "Please, listen to me first. I'm doing this for you... for our company. We need investors, Damian! You know that! They won't give me m
It's been one month since the video scandal took the world by storm. Elena chose to remain silent without clarifying, she worked quietly to organize legal measures, rebuild her image, and most importantly-prepare her final weapon. The day after tomorrow, the custody battle would begin. But today was the day when Elena, the famous designer with a business empire, would no longer remain silent.That morning, the ballroom at one of Manhattan's five-star hotels was packed. Rows of cameras, microphones and journalists from various countries filled the room. Whispers and speculation filled the air.At 10 o'clock, Nathan entered first, standing next to the podium. Shortly after, Elena emerges from behind the curtain. Dressed in an ivory white suit, hair in a neat bun, her face was calm but her eyes were sharp. The whole room immediately fell silent."Thank you for coming to this press conference," Elena said, her voice clear and steady. "Today, I stand not as a designer, not as an entreprene
In the afternoon, Elena, Nathan and the children returned to the apartment. The children had already gone up to their rooms.Nathan closed the door and took off his tie as he took a deep breath."Wife, would you like some hot tea?" he asked as he headed for the kitchen."Sure," Elena replied from the living room. She slipped off her shoes and sat on the sofa. "I think my neck is a little sore..."Before Nathan could make it to the kitchen, the television automatically turned on-a smart feature that instantly brought up the breaking news from the local channel.Breaking news! A shocking scandalous video has been widely circulated for the past hour. It is strongly suspected that the woman in the video is Elena - the famous designer, Queen Elisabeth.^Nathan immediately stopped walking. Elena looked quickly at the screen.The two-minute video showed a naked woman riding the body of a middle-aged man identified as William Hargrave, 55, Elena's former business partner at the German branch.
A modern room on the third floor of a law firm in Midtown Manhattan. The room contained wooden shelves of law books, thick carpeting, and wide windows overlooking the busy city.Damian Lancaster sat at the end of a long glass-topped desk, his suit perfect without a single wrinkle. Beside him, Isabella looked elegant, but the look in her eyes was sharp. Across from them, Jared Matthews-a lawyer specializing in custody and family cases-is staring intently at the file Damian has just handed him."All the documents are there," Damian said, his tone firm. "DNA test results, records of the Elena scandal."Jared flips through the pages, his brow furrowing occasionally. He doesn't speak right away."Add to that the news that just went viral last week," Isabella interrupted, handing over a cell phone with a link to Elena's scandalous past. "That woman has a bad track record. Not fit to be a mother."Damian gave her a quick glance. "That's what I used as evidence of moral judgment. I don't mean
The next day."Hold on, Mom, my hair is still messed up!" said Olivia, the eldest, as she smoothed her bangs in front of the small mirror in the waiting room of the registry office.Elena smiles and fixes the collar of Delya's shirt, who is standing next to her. Nathan sat in the next chair, holding his youngest, Alva, who looked curiously at the uniformed officer."Are you sure we don't need a party or an invitation?" Nathan whispered softly."Sure. This is enough. I just want the day to go smoothly," Elena replied, looking at her children. "The important thing is that we're officially husband and wife."Nathan nodded. "Okay. But after this, we'll celebrate with them, okay? Whatever you want.""How about some ice cream? But Daddy has to buy all the flavors," Delya said, her eyes narrowing playfully.Nathan laughed. "Sure thing, kiddo. Daddy will buy a whole case if necessary."A uniformed officer approached them. "Mrs. Elena and Mr. Nathan Drake Sebastian?""Yes," Elena and Nathan re
Elena opened her eyes, looking at Nathan who was now parking the car slowly in front of her apartment."But, I've given birth to four children, Nathan. You know that."Nathan looked away, still waiting."Do you... still want to have your own biological children as a descendant of the Sebastian family?" she asked softly.Nathan looked at her with a look that was hard to describe: gentle, calm, and respectful."Elena," he said with a sigh. "I never made children a requirement. I fell in love with you, not because of the possibility that you may or may not give birth again.""But..." Elena bit her lip. "What if you regret it one day?"Nathan smiled, then took Elena's hand, holding it tightly."Your four children are enough for me. They're not just a part of you, they'll be a part of my life too. And if they let me, I'll consider them my children too."Elena was silent. Nathan's words came in like a wave sweeping over her last stronghold."I didn't think you could care that much," she whi
Elena's black car drove smoothly through the dark night. Beside her, Nathan sat in silence, occasionally glancing at Elena who seemed to be seriously staring at her cell phone screen."I thought you'd be relieved after Nuno was arrested," Nathan muttered at last.Elena didn't answer immediately. She opened her contact list and selected a name labeled "Only If Desperate"."You know I'm never really relieved before the game is over," she said quietly. "Nuno is just the surface. We haven't touched the mastermind yet."He pressed the call button.The connection was made. A deep, heavy voice greeted from the other side. "Hello, Queen Elena.""I need your help," she said quickly. "Starting tonight, I need you to monitor Isabella Lancaster. Discreetly, not to be suspicious. Where she goes, who she meets, even if she's just shopping report it to me."The detective paused for a moment before replying, "Does that mean I have to watch her 24 hours?""Y, of course. But don't let her get suspic
That afternoon, the air was stale. In the middle of the deserted streets of an abandoned industrial estate, an old metal door was half-hidden behind a grove of bushes. That's where Nuno Gract was hiding - the man who had been a shadow in cyberspace, hacking, manipulating, spreading lies from behind a screen.Elena got out of her black car. Behind her, Nathan followed, his face tense, jaw hardened. Two plainclothes policemen were also standing by, their jackets slightly open, revealing weapons at their waists."This is the place," Nathan whispered, pointing to the door. Elena gave a small nod, her eyes as sharp as daggers. Silently, they approached, footsteps muffled by the dusty ground.One of the policemen signaled a countdown. Three... Two... One.BRUKK!The door was forced open. The sound of metal creaking echoed.The dark room was immediately ambushed by flashlights. Thin smoke billowed - the smell of dampness and burning wires was overwhelming.In the corner, Nuno Grac
That morning, the sky was clear with no clouds.A black car pulled up slowly in front of Alva's school gate. From inside, Sisca - Alva's nanny - got out first, making sure it was safe before opening the door for the little boy."Alva, come on, we're here," Sisca said with a smile.Alva, who was still hugging her little doll, nodded slowly, then went downstairs with cheerful steps.As soon as her little feet touched the ground, several casually dressed bodyguards immediately moved around them. Not flashy, but tight enough to make anyone think twice about approaching.Since the kidnapping case the other day, Elena didn't want to mess around with security anymore. Especially since Alva, her flesh and blood, was now her top priority.Sisca straightened Alva's small bag. "Remember, don't leave the classroom until Auntie comes. If there's anything, go straight to the bodyguard uncle.""Yes..." Alva said with a small nod, then ran towards her friends who were already playing in the school ga