All Chapters of ALMS TO LOVE: Chapter 181 - Chapter 190

Scandal was ablaze on every hand.But Jamaica Billion-matriarch, legend, steel-boned survivor-did not panic.She stood.She rose.She prepared for war.JAMAICA VS. THE NATIONBy noon, every major TV network had sent vehicles to the Billion estate gates, waiting for a statement. Journalists camped out like vultures, their cameras glowing through the bars.Inside the mansion, Jamaica adjusted the silver comb in her hair and stood before the mirror. Her eyes were sharp, unblinking, cold as cut diamonds.Valeria approached, holding the prepared statement in her trembling hands."Madam… are you sure you want to do this live?"Jamaica lifted her chin."No edited clips. No twisted narratives. They want a spectacle? Then I will give them truth."She walked toward the door, cane tapping in a steady rhythm.Every step showed authority.Every step announced:Billion Empire remains standing till date.THE STUDIOThe moment Jamaica entered the national news studio, the temperature shifted.Produce

The room was too quiet.Outside, there were guards moving in tense patterns—boots against marble, radios crackling softly. But inside the sitting room, it was only Fiona and Candy, sitting together on the couch as soft afternoon light spilled across the floor.The little fingers of Candy curled around the fur of her stuffed fox.Her eyes—big, round, still trembling from the shock—lifted to Fiona."Mommy." Candy whispered, her voice barely a breath.“D-did you… did Mommy Fiona do that? What I saw on the video?”Fiona froze.For a heartbeat, her lungs refused to work.It was as if someone had reached inside her chest and then crushed her heart with his bare hands.She sank to Candy's level, her knees pressed against the carpet, eyes shining with unshed tears.“Sweetheart,” Fiona said softly, brushing a strand of hair from Candy’s cheek, “yes… I know you saw the video. And I know it scared you.”Candy swallowed.Her lip trembled.“Is it true?Fiona shook her head immediately-soft, firm,

The study door shut behind them with a soft thud.Candy sat in the cushioned chair, small feet dangling, clutching Fiona's hand with both of hers as if letting go would make the world fall apart.A gentle-faced female officer knelt beside her."It's okay, sweetheart," she said softly. "We just want to make sure you're alright."Candy nodded, but clung tighter to Fiona's fingers.A pediatric medic with a flashlight appeared."Candy," he said, smiling kindly, "I'm just going to check that you're not hurt anywhere. No needles. No pain. Just looking. You can even hold Mommy Fiona's hand the whole time."Candy gulped.“Okay.”Fiona stroked her hair until she felt the child relax—just a little.The medic started.A light across the eyes.A quick glance towards neck.Her arms.Her legs.He looked at her wrists, searching for any marks.None.He checked for bruises.None.He checked for tenderness, flinches, signs of fear that were connected to touch.Nothing.Candy just looked sleepy, scared

Candy finally drifted off, tiny breaths soft against the pillow.Her small fingers were still gripping the edge of Liza's blanket, as if she was afraid that the world would shift again during her sleep.Fiona sat next to her for a long time, stroking her hair as she watched her chest rise and fall.Only when she was satisfied Candy was deep asleep, she stood up—slowly, quietly.Charles stood leaning against the wall near the window, his arms crossed, his head bowed, regarding them with an inscrutable countenance.He didn’t speak until she walked toward him.“She finally settled,” he murmured.Fiona nodded.Her voice came out softer than she had intended."She's exhausted."“You both are.”He said it softly.Too softly.Fiona looked out the window instead of at him.The yard lights glowed against the grass; guards patrolled and shadows shifted.“It’s still hard to believe Marie made it inside,” Fiona said quietly."I keep… replaying it. Every second."Charles's hands curled into fists

Marie’s breath stuttered as her gaze locked onto the image Candy curled against Fiona like a kitten pressed against warmth. Fiona’s hand rested protectively over the little girl’s back. The room on the screen glowed in that soft, golden way only safe places do.Marie trembled so violently her teeth clicked.“That,” Helen whispered into her ear, “is why you cannot go back like this.”Marie’s tears spilled again—silent, helpless, endless.“Helen… she’s—she’s with her. Fiona’s with her. She—she thinks Fiona is her mother now—”Helen’s nails dug slightly into Marie’s cheek, not enough to break skin, but enough to pin her in the moment.“Do you hear yourself?” Helen hissed.“Crying. Folding. Breaking.”Marie blinked hard, trying to breathe.“She loves her—”“She thinks she loves her,” Helen corrected.“That’s different.”Marie shook her head, shoulders shaking. “Candy hugged her. She—she calls her Mommy Fiona. I saw it. You made me watch it.”“Yes,” Helen murmured, her hand sliding from Ma