Lahat ng Kabanata ng Dear Ex, I'm More Than Your Plan B: Kabanata 211 - Kabanata 220

“I wasn’t just sitting at Dorian Fontaine’s table looking pretty,” she said coolly. “I built things. Things that changed the direction of entire departments. I worked under pseudonyms because I wasn’t interested in fame or reputation. I wanted the freedom to create.”A pause.Then, softer: “But I see now that silence is often mistaken for irrelevance.”She stepped away from the screen and turned back toward the table, arms lightly crossed.“My mother didn’t give me this company because I was her daughter. She gave it to me because I’ve earned it. Just in a way that none of you ever took the time to learn.”One of the older board members, Mr. Linwood, who had remained quiet throughout, finally leaned forward, steepling his fingers.“I was on the acquisition board that bid on Helix,” he said slowly. “We were outbid by Fontaine. Never knew who built it.”He looked up.There was something different in his gaze now.Something Vera hadn’t seen since she walked in.Acknowledgment.“You’re sa

Vera didn’t realize she’d started crying until a tear splashed onto the corner of the card.Her heart clenched.She lowered herself onto the edge of her office chair, holding the card close, hugging it like it was a piece of her daughter.Of her home.Her family.Everything around her, the office, the company, the expectations, faded for a brief second. All she could feel was love. Pure, bright, uncomplicated love in the form of a sunflower bouquet and a cupcake that had a tiny crown on it.She smiled through her tears, brushing them away hastily. "Of course she picked sunflowers," she murmured.Then she took a bite of the crowned cupcake, laughing under her breath when the frosting left glitter on her lip.One of the senior staff who had knocked earlier poked his head in and paused at the sight, about to ask something.“Later,” Vera said softly, waving him off.Right now, she needed a minute.Just a minute to remember who she was doing this for.And when she was done, she’d wipe away

The driver took a turn, and the restaurant’s rooftop began to come into view above the skyline.The truth was, no matter what Dorian had to say, no matter what cards he thought he still held, Vera’s heart was no longer his to sway.It belonged to Asher.It always had.She just hadn’t let herself believe she deserved to hold on to it, until now.As the car slowed in front of the glass wrapped entrance, Vera finally tucked her phone into her clutch and exhaled a quiet, bracing breath.Time to face the past.Because her future was already waiting for her in a silly selfie, a little girl’s laughter… and the quiet strength of a man who hadn’t let her fall, even when she tried to.Vera stepped out of the taxi with quiet poise, the click of her heels against the pavement sharp and steady.The restaurant stood sleek and modern, its glass exterior catching rays of sunlight and reflecting the curious glances of a few passersby already murmuring among themselves.She adjusted her blazer, brushin

Dorian turned and began walking, back toward the car waiting for him, his stride slow, deliberate.His driver opened the door but paused when he caught the look in his boss’s eyes.“Sir?” the man asked cautiously.“Call Matteo,” Dorian said evenly, sliding into the seat. “Tell him to move up the timeline. And make sure the files on Donovan’s clean up operations, the medical bribes, and his mother’s sealed psychiatric records are ready for release.”The driver hesitated. “You’re really going there?”Dorian’s smile was thin. Empty. “We tried the good way. She didn’t choose it. So now... we burn the path behind her. No more exits. No more Donovan.”He leaned back, shutting the door with a gentle click.As the car pulled off, he stared out the window, the city’s lights blurring past. His fingers tapped against his thigh in rhythm, controlled, methodical, patient. The same way he’d planned every business coup, every takeover.This wasn’t jealousy anymore.Because if Vera wanted to be with

Vera smiled, her chest tightening in the best way. “Okay, my turn.”She looked at her daughter and Asher, her voice quieter. “My rose... is this. Right now. Sitting here with you two. Laughing. Eating. Feeling like... I’m home.”Asher looked away for a second, like the emotion in her words hit too hard.“My thorn,” Vera said, “is seeing how much I missed out on. How long it took me to get back here.”There was a long pause. Asher reached out and covered her hand with his.“You’re here now,” he said softly.“And my bud,” Vera continued, blinking past the sudden sting in her eyes, “is... making this last.”They sat in silence for a moment. Eira’s little feet swung under the table, her gaze darting between them with a satisfied grin.“Your turn, Daddy,” she said, pointing a sticky finger at Asher.He cleared his throat, keeping his hand over Vera’s.“My rose is seeing both of you in this office. Like it’s finally whole.”He glanced at Vera. “My thorn is... knowing how close I came to los