CHAPTER 6

Tania stood by the side of the road, her arms folded tightly across her chest, her body trembling with anger. She watched as Miguel’s car disappeared into the distance without so much as a second glance back at her. Her eyes burned with unshed tears. How could he just leave her there like that?

With shaky fingers, she pulled out her phone and quickly dialled her best friend’s number. It rang only twice before a cheerful voice answered.

“Hey, Tania! What’s up?”

Tania could barely keep her voice steady. “Ana, I need you to come pick me up. Please. Miguel left me by the roadside.”

There was a short pause. “He did what?”

“Please, Ana,” Tania begged, her voice cracking. “Just come. I’ll explain everything later.”

“Okay, okay, calm down. Send me your location. I’m coming right now,” Ana said, her voice turning serious.

Tania sent the location and hugged herself tightly, trying to keep warm against the night breeze. Every minute that passed felt like an hour, but finally, Ana’s small white car pulled up in front of her.

Ana jumped out of the car and rushed over. “Oh my God, Tania! Are you okay?”

“No, I’m not!” Tania cried, allowing herself to be pulled into a hug. “Let’s just get out of here.”

They both got into the car. As soon as Ana started driving, Tania couldn’t hold it in anymore. Words tumbled out of her mouth, one after another.

“I can’t believe him! He embarrassed me in front of everyone. And it’s all her fault! All because of Ximena!” Tania spat bitterly, clenching her fists.

Ana gave her a side glance. “Wait, what happened? What did Ximena do now?”

Tania sniffed, wiping angrily at her tears. “If she had just stayed away after the divorce, everything would’ve been perfect. Miguel and I would be together, happy, living our best life. But no! She had to show up, looking all successful and pretty, with bodyguards and fancy clothes. She ruined everything!”

Ana sighed. “Tania… maybe Miguel’s just confused right now. Maybe it’s not really about Ximena.”

“No!” Tania slammed her hand against the dashboard, making Ana jump. “It’s her! It’s all her fault! She’s trying to steal Miguel from me again.”

Ana drove in silence for a moment, thinking. Then she said carefully, “You know what? If you really love Miguel, you shouldn’t give up. We’ll find a way to make him see that you’re the one for him. I’ll help you.”

Tania turned to look at her, her eyes wide with hope. “You really mean it?”

Ana nodded, smiling a little. “Of course. We’re best friends. And you deserve to be with the man you love.”

Tania smiled for the first time that night. She felt a new fire burning inside her. She wasn’t going to sit back and let Ximena win. Not without a fight.

The next morning, Ximena sat behind her large wooden desk, her mind deep in thought. The early sun filtered through the big windows of her office, casting a warm glow over the clean, modern space. Papers were stacked neatly in front of her, and the soft hum of computers filled the air.

Lisa, her assistant, knocked on the door lightly and peeked in.

“Miss Antonio,” she said, stepping inside. “I’m sorry to bother you, but… we still haven’t been able to find the person leaking our designs.”

Ximena’s heart sank a little, but she kept her face calm. She motioned for Lisa to come in and sit down.

Lisa closed the door and sat nervously on the chair across from her. She wrung her hands together, clearly upset.

“I talked to the IT team again,” Lisa continued, her voice shaking a little. “We checked emails, security cameras, even the files. But nothing. If this continues, the Nikki collection could be ruined before it even launches.”

Ximena leaned back in her chair, tapping her fingers lightly on the desk. Her mind was racing, but her voice stayed steady.

“Lisa,” she said softly, “I know you’re worried. I am too. But we can’t panic. That’s exactly what whoever is doing this wants.”

Lisa looked up at her, her brown eyes wide and anxious.

“But Miss Antonio… if the leak continues, we’ll lose everything we’ve worked for. The investors will pull out. Our name will be dragged through the mud.”

Ximena nodded slowly. She knew Lisa was right. The Nikki collection wasn’t just another project; it was a symbol. It was proof that she had made it on her own.

Ximena stood up and walked to the large window, gazing out over the busy streets of Mexico City. Cars honked in the distance, and people bustled around like tiny ants, full of life and energy. Ximena let out a deep breath.

“I won’t let that happen,” she said finally, turning back to Lisa. “We didn’t come this far just to fail now.”

Lisa’s lips trembled. “But how, Miss Antonio? What can we do?”

Ximena walked back to her desk and sat down again. She leaned forward, her blue eyes blazing with determination.

“First,” she said, “tighten security even more. No one gets access to the designs except the core team. No phones are allowed in the design room. No laptops without tracking.”

Lisa nodded quickly, jotting down notes.

“Second,” Ximena continued, “I want a list of everyone who’s had access to the Nikki files in the last month. Cross-reference it with entry logs and emails. If there’s a rat among us, I’ll find them.”

“And third…” she paused, tapping her pen against her chin. “We’ll launch a decoy collection. Release some fake designs to the public. If they leak, we’ll know exactly where the hole is.”

Lisa’s mouth dropped open. “That’s… brilliant, Miss Antonio!”

Ximena gave a small, tired smile. “We have to be smarter than them, Lisa. We have to protect what we’ve built.”

Lisa stood up, energized by Ximena’s resolve. “I’ll get started on it right away.”

“Thank you, Lisa,” Ximena said, her voice softening. “I know this hasn’t been easy. But I promise, everything is going to be okay.”

Lisa nodded a little more hope in her eyes and hurried out of the office.

Left alone again, Ximena leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes for a moment. Her heart was heavy with worry, but she refused to let it show. Not to her team, not to her enemies.

She thought about Tania, about Miguel, about all the people who had once looked down on her. She thought about the years she spent crying herself to sleep, wishing for love, begging for acceptance.

And she thought about the woman she had become now — strong, independent, fierce.

“I won’t let you ruin me,” Ximena whispered to the empty room. “Not this time.”

Her phone buzzed on her desk, pulling her out of her thoughts. She picked it up. It was a message from Rafael.

**“Meeting with the marketing team at 2 PM. Updates on the Nikki promotion plan.”**

Ximena smiled faintly. Work wasn’t going to stop just because someone was trying to break her. If anything, she would work even harder.

She stood up and walked over to the mirror on the wall. She looked at herself, at the woman staring back with tired eyes but a determined heart.

“You are strong, Ximena Antonio,” she whispered. “And you are not alone.”

She smoothed her blonde hair back, squared her shoulders, and turned away from the mirror.