CHAPTER 4

The ballroom of the De La Vega Grand Ballroom was filled with deafening whispers and thunderous applause, but to Rafael Villarigo, the entire world seemed to have fallen silent.

His gaze remained blank as he stared at the top of the grand staircase. His hands, which had been enthusiastically applauding moments earlier, slowly dropped to his sides. He felt as though his entire world had crumbled, and the ground beneath his feet had suddenly split open, threatening to swallow him whole.

Sabel...

His mind screamed her name over and over in disbelief.

His brain could not process what his eyes were seeing. The woman standing at the top of the staircase, adorned with thousands of sparkling diamonds beneath the enormous crystal chandelier, was the very same woman he had abandoned in a dark and cold house.

The queen of the De La Vega Empire was none other than his ex-wife—the woman he had belittled, insulted, and treated like a mere shadow for three long years.

"No... This can't be happening," Rafael whispered, his face gradually losing its color until it became as pale as a sheet of paper. "If... if she's the sole heiress to the wealthiest family in the country... why did she put up with me? Why did she let me treat her like she was poor?"

A sharp pang of regret pierced his chest.

He remembered the days when Sabel carefully stretched their limited budget to keep the company running, and the nights when she endured splattering hot oil just to cook his favorite adobo.

If she was wealthy, why had she stayed by his side without ever asking for anything in return?

But the greatest fear consuming him was the realization that the company he had always been so proud of—Villarigo Construction—was nothing more than pocket change compared to the empire he now stood before.

Beside him, Sofia Astor was practically trembling with rage. Her teeth were clenched, and her fingernails dug into her expensive luxury purse. Her eyes, which had been filled with anticipation and judgment just moments ago, were now burning with envy and hatred.

Isabelle... Why does it always have to be her?! Why is she always the center of attention?!

For three years, Sofia had made sure that Sabel became the most miserable woman in the world. She had stolen her husband, taken her place in the household, and destroyed her dignity by calling her barren and useless.

She had thought she had won.

She had believed that once Sabel signed the divorce papers, she would finally be crowned the new queen.

But now, in the blink of an eye, Sabel had risen to a height Sofia could never reach, no matter how hard she tried.

The expensive gown she was so proud of suddenly looked like a rag compared to the diamonds adorning her former friend's body.

As Isabelle descended the staircase, her hand rested gracefully on Adrian Sebastian's arm. Every step she took radiated elegance and overwhelming authority. Her gaze was cold, firm, and fixed straight ahead, seemingly overlooking the faces of hundreds of elite guests desperately vying for her attention.

"Honey," Rafael whispered urgently to Sofia, his voice trembling with panic. "We need to talk to her. I need to explain everything to Sabel. If... if she's rich, she can save our company! Just one signature from her, and we won't go bankrupt!"

"Shut up, Rafael!" Sofia hissed, although her own mind was racing with fear. "Don't let anyone see that you're scared! Maybe that woman is just pretending! How could an orphan possibly be a De La Vega?!"

When Isabelle and Adrian reached the spacious ballroom floor, they were immediately surrounded by powerful businessmen and diplomats.

However, before anyone could approach them too closely, seven armed bodyguards dressed in suits worth a million each formed an impenetrable wall around the couple.

Rafael searched desperately for an opportunity.

Driven by his desperation to save Villarigo Construction from its impending bankruptcy, he forced his way through the crowd. Sofia followed closely behind him, her heart pounding with a mixture of envy and an overwhelming desire to confront the woman who had stolen the spotlight from her that evening.

The moment she spotted a small opening, Sofia quickly stepped forward, slipping past the security guards while they were momentarily distracted.

"Sabel!"

Sofia's shrill and challenging voice shattered the soft melody of the violins.

The whispers among the nearby guests immediately died down.

Isabelle slowly turned around.

There was not the slightest trace of surprise on her face. Instead, a cold, mocking smile appeared on her lips.

She had known this moment would come. She had known the two would never pass up the opportunity to approach her.

"Sofia. Rafael," Isabelle greeted coldly. Her voice carried no emotion, yet it possessed an authority so overwhelming that she sounded like a queen addressing her servants. "What are these pieces of trash doing inside my palace?"

"How dare you call us trash?!" Sofia's voice rose, her elegant facade crumbling under the weight of her jealousy. "Sabel, don't act all high and mighty! Do you think I'm afraid of your fake diamonds?! You spent three years cleaning my cat's filth! You spent three years obeying our every command! How could you possibly be an heiress?!"

Before Isabelle could respond, a deep and terrifying voice echoed from beside her.

"Watch your mouth, woman."

It was Adrian.

His commanding presence descended over the entire space like a dark cloud.

He took a single step forward, positioning himself in front of Isabelle.

His eyes blazed with fury—the intimidating glare of a multibillionaire mafia boss who was ready to kill anyone who dared touch or even raise their voice at the woman he loved.

"You are speaking to Lady Isabella De La Vega. One more word from your filthy mouth, and I will make sure you vanish from this country before the sun rises."

Rafael swallowed hard in fear at the sight of Adrian's terrifying expression. He quickly pulled Sofia's arm backward.

"Sofia, be quiet!"

Then he turned toward Isabelle.

"Sabel... please, we need to talk. I didn't know... If only I had known you were wealthy—"

"If only you had known I was wealthy, you wouldn't have cheated on me? Is that what you're saying, Rafael?"

Isabelle interrupted him, slowly stepping out from behind Adrian.

She stared at her ex-husband with profound disgust.

"My love for you was unconditional, but your love for me depended entirely on what you could gain from me. So don't you dare act as though you're the victim here."

At that moment, Mang Tomas, the head of security for the De La Vega Empire, hurried toward them, accompanied by three men carrying tablets and documents.

He bowed respectfully to Isabelle and Adrian.

"Lady Isabella, Mr. Sebastian... we have a serious problem concerning these two individuals," Mang Tomas reported solemnly, his gaze directed toward Rafael and Sofia.

"What seems to be the problem, Mang Tomas?" Isabelle asked, casually playing with her sapphire ring.

"When our digital security team checked the guest list and invitation barcodes, we discovered that the invitations in their possession were counterfeit," the security chief announced coldly. "The invitations they used to enter this prestigious banquet are fake. Neither of their names appears in our system."

A collective gasp rippled through the surrounding elite guests.

The whispers grew even louder.

"Forgeries? They used fake invitations just to get into a high-society event?"

"How cheap!"

"Who are these people? How dare they sneak into the De La Vega gala!"

Rafael's eyes widened.

He immediately turned toward Sofia, his heart pounding so violently that it felt as though it might burst out of his chest.

"Sofia?! What does this mean?! You said... you said you got the invitation from someone in a high-ranking position! It's fake?!"

"H-Honey, no... They're mistaken!" Sofia stammered defensively, sweat beginning to ruin her heavy makeup. "Sabel, this is your doing, isn't it?! You used your power to make my invitation look fake! You're just jealous of me because I'm the one Rafael married! I'm the legitimate queen now!"

"Queen of a company that's about to collapse?" Isabelle let out a mocking laugh. "Sofia, you don't need my help to make yourself look pathetic. Your own greed is what brought you into this mess."

"You shameless woman!"

Sofia finally lost control.

Her face turned red with rage and humiliation. She suddenly lunged forward, raising her fingernails in an attempt to scratch Isabelle's face.

"You're a fraud! You made all of this up! I'll destroy you, Sabel! I'll destroy you!"

But before she could get even an inch closer to Isabelle, two massive bodyguards working for Adrian quickly stepped in.

They grabbed her arms, violently spun her around, and twisted both hands behind her back.

"Let go of me! You animals! Sabel, you'll pay for this! Rafael, help me!"

Sofia screamed hysterically as she struggled against their grip.

Her luxurious silk dress began to tear from the force of her thrashing. Her perfectly styled hair became completely disheveled, making her look like a madwoman in the middle of the magnificent ballroom.

"Drag that piece of trash out of this property," Adrian ordered coldly, his voice devoid of mercy. "And make sure the entire media outside gets to see how a forger is thrown out."

"No! Rafael! Help me!"

Sofia continued screaming as the bodyguards roughly dragged her across the ballroom's expansive carpeted floor.

Hundreds of guests watched her with disgust and ridicule.

Her shoes were left behind on the floor, and her luxurious dreams were completely shattered in front of everyone.

Rafael stood frozen in place, his entire body trembling.

The humiliation he had suffered that evening was a stain that would never be erased from his name.

The company he had worked so hard to build would be completely destroyed tomorrow following this scandal.

"Sabel..."

Rafael stepped forward, his eyes filled with tears of regret and desperation.

He tried to reach for Isabelle's hand.

"Please, Sabel... listen to me. I made a mistake. Sofia... Sofia was the one who pushed me into doing all those things! She deceived me! You... you're still the woman I love, Sabel. Come back to me... Let's fix our marriage..."

But before he could finish speaking, Adrian stepped in front of him, completely shielding Isabelle from his reach.

Adrian's towering figure cast an enormous shadow over Rafael.

"Don't you ever mention her name again, Villarigo," Adrian whispered, his voice sounding like a death sentence. "And don't you ever dare touch what's mine. Every last cent of your wealth, your company, and whatever remains of your business... I will make sure you lose everything by tomorrow."

Isabelle looked at Rafael from behind Adrian's broad shoulders.

There was no longer any anger in her eyes—only cold indifference toward the man she had once loved.

"Mang Tomas," Isabelle instructed as she turned around, preparing to return to her father, who was waiting for her onstage. "Have that man removed. And make sure his name is blacklisted from every bank and company under the De La Vega Empire."

"Consider it done, Lady Isabella," Mang Tomas replied.

The security guards immediately surrounded Rafael, preparing to escort him out.

Rafael knew the battle was over.

The housewife he had once discarded was actually the one and only queen who held his fate in her hands.

And tonight, in the midst of darkness and humiliation, his entire kingdom had finally crumbled.