Chapter 5

The luxurious hall of the De La Vega Grand Ballroom continued to shine, but to Sofia Astor, every light felt like a judging spotlight. She stood alone near the bar, elegantly holding her glass of white wine. However, her inner peace had long been shattered by intense anxiety. She discreetly scanned the surroundings, waiting to see where her husband would emerge.

Moments later, she spotted Rafael returning from the dimly lit hallway leading to the restrooms. Sofia's brow furrowed immediately upon noticing his appearance. His shoulders were slumped, his face was pale, and his eyes seemed fixed on a vast emptiness.

Sofia quickly approached and held his arm. "Hon, what happened to you? Why do you look like that?" Sofia asked, forcing firmness into her voice to hide her fear.

Rafael did not even look at her. He uttered no words. Instead, he harshly pushed Sofia's glass aside and grabbed a glass of hard liquor resting on the table. He downed it in a single gulp, letting the alcohol burn his throat—a desperate attempt to drown out Isabelle's voice, which continued to echo in his mind.

"Rafael, speak to me! You are making me nervous!" Sofia whispered sharply through gritted teeth.

But before Rafael could answer, the grand music of the orchestra was suddenly drowned out by heavy, rapid footsteps. Nearby guests looked over as a group of armed security guards from the De La Vega Empire entered the main hall, accompanied by three uniformed police officers. They walked quickly and heavily, heading straight through the crowd as if responding to a severe security threat.

Rafael was startled when their steps suddenly slowed down right in front of them. In an instant, they were surrounded by the armed men, blocking every possible exit.

"Take them out!" the banquet manager ordered coldly and firmly, following closely behind the police. His voice carried no restraint, loud enough to catch the attention of the wealthiest people around them.

"Wait! Hold on... what's the problem?" Rafael stepped forward, trying to assert his authority as the CEO of Villarigo Construction. "Do you know who I am? Why are your men surrounding us?"

The police officer turned, his expression stern. "Sir, come with us to the security office without making trouble. A formal complaint has been filed against you for forging an invitation."

It felt as if a massive wall had collapsed on Rafael upon hearing this. His heart was instantly flooded with intense fear and humiliation.

"What? Fake?! This is absurd! We have a legitimate invitation!" He quickly turned to the woman beside him, his eyes glaring in confusion. "Wait... what is the meaning of this, Sofia? Tell me this is a mistake!"

Sofia's entire body trembled, and she was breaking out in a heavy sweat. Her lips parted, but no sound came out. She was speechless. Her eyes darted back and forth between the manager and the police, realizing that her underground operations had finally been discovered by the De La Vegas.

As chaos ensued in that part of the ballroom and high society stared at them with absolute disgust, Isabelle slowly raised her champagne glass from the VIP lounge above. A secret smile played on her lips as she leaned against the strong arms of Adrian Sebastian.

This is just the beginning... Rafael, Sofia... Isabelle whispered to herself. I will make sure you taste the absolute bitter consequences of your choices.

After nearly three hours of intense discussion, humiliation, and interrogation inside the closed, cold security room, they were finally released. Rafael had to pay a massive fine and bail to ensure the management would let them go and not proceed with their official arrest tonight.

The moment they arrived home, the silence of the night was violently shattered.

Furious, Rafael ripped off his expensive blazer and threw it onto the sofa with full force. He faced Sofia, his face flushed red and the veins on his neck bulging from sheer rage.

"What kind of foolishness were you thinking, Sofia?! Explain this to me right now!" Rafael roared, his voice echoing through the entire living room. "Do you have any idea the humiliation you caused me tonight?! Every wealthy person there, my future clients, witnessed us being surrounded by the police! It was completely shameless! I was treated like a common criminal because of you!"

Sofia was already crying heavily, her face drenched in tears as she slowly approached him, raising both hands as if begging. "I'm sorry, Hon! Please, listen to me... I only did it so we could get in and talk to the De La Vega family for the company! I just wanted to save Villarigo Construction!"

"By forging an elite invitation?! Are you out of your mind?!" Rafael yelled back.

"I didn't think they would find out!" Sofia shouted defensively between her sobs. "And above all, I had no idea that was Sabel! I had no idea that your useless ex-wife is the sole heiress of that massive empire! I only did it for you, Rafael! For our business!"

"So look what you’ve done to me! You stupid idiot!" Rafael pointed a finger at Sofia, his hand inches from her face. "Tomorrow, our faces might be on the front page! The entire business community will know we are frauds! You ruined my company even more! I made a mistake with you, Sofia! I believed you were worth something, but my company has been cursed ever since you entered my life!"