All Chapters of From Single Mom to the Billionaire's Queen: Aleira Tan: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Chapter 11: Working Late, Hearts AwakePOV: AleiraThe soft hum of the office lights was the only sound echoing through the 30th floor of Montenegro Enterprises. It was already past eight in the evening, and the once-bustling workspace had quieted into a sea of glowing screens and echoing footsteps. Most employees had gone home hours ago. Except me—and apparently, Brent Montenegro.I didn’t mean to stay late. I wasn’t trying to get noticed. But when Sir Brent’s secretary, casually mentioned earlier that the quarterly financial report still needed updating for the next day’s board meeting, my instincts kicked in. I volunteered without thinking twice.“I can do it,” I had said, maybe too quickly. Maybe too eagerly.Now here I was, blinking against the spreadsheet on my screen, the blue light making my eyes ache. My fingers worked fast, double-checking formulas, aligning data, organizing by profit margins—anything to distract myself from the loneliness that had settled in the pit of my s

Chapter 13: The ConfrontationPOV: AleiraThe air in Montenegro Enterprises felt different today. Thicker somehow. Every smile felt forced, every hallway whisper sharper than usual. Something was off—and I felt it in my bones.I hadn’t heard from Brent since the cryptic message he sent after our last meeting. He hadn’t dropped by my desk. No more thermos. No more pens. No more stolen glances from afar.Just silence.And that silence was eating away at me.“Hey,” Trisha whispered, sliding into the seat beside mine as we waited for the weekly staff briefing. “You okay? You look... off.”I gave her a quick smile. “I’m fine.”“Mm-hmm,” she said, not believing me for a second. “Well, brace yourself. Brent is presenting today. He seems… tense.”The word hit me like a bullet. Tense. Was it because of me?Before I could respond, the conference room door opened. Brent walked in, suit sharp, face unreadable. His gaze swept the room—but didn’t linger on me. Not even for a second.---The meeting

Chapter 15: The CEO’s Soft SpotPOV: AleiraThe morning after the gala felt like waking up from a dream I didn’t want to end.I sat by the small window of my apartment, cradling a steaming cup of coffee in my hands. The soft chatter of the morning news played in the background, but I wasn’t really listening. All I could think about was Brent.His touch. His kiss. The way he looked at me like I was the only woman in the room.For a moment, I allowed myself to believe in possibilities.Then reality came knocking.Lara tugged at my shirt. “Mommy, why are you smiling like that?”I blinked, startled. “Was I?”She giggled. “Is it because you saw the prince at the party?”I laughed, pulling her onto my lap. “Maybe, baby. Maybe.”At Montenegro Enterprises, the atmosphere buzzed with leftover energy from the gala. Colleagues whispered about the event, complimenting each other’s outfits and gossiping about who danced with whom. But what they were really whispering about was me.Trisha elbowed m

Chapter 17: Loving in Secret(Aleira's Point of view)It had only been two days since Brent officially asked me to be his girlfriend. Two days since I saw his eyes soften as he muttered the words he had held back for so long. Two days of floating, smiling to myself, and trying to suppress the butterflies every time he passed by in the office.But nobody could know.The morning after he confessed, he sent a message:“Let’s keep this between us for now. I don’t want unnecessary eyes or rumors. I just want you—all to myself.”And I understood. We were in a corporate world full of sharks. One slip, and everything we had could be twisted into gossip, scandal… or worse, used against me.Still, it wasn’t easy.Brent Montenegro, the CEO of Montenegro Enterprises, now my boyfriend.And I couldn’t even look at him for more than three seconds without risking a blush—and rumors.“Aleira, are you okay?” Trina whispered, nudging my elbow as we walked to the conference room.“You’ve been smiling at

Chapter 19: Torn Between Two Worlds(Aleira’s POV)The elevator climbed silently to the 30th floor of Montenegro Tower, but my mind was far from still. Every floor we passed felt like a beat of uncertainty thudding in my chest.I stepped out with a file pressed to my chest and my heart somewhere near my throat. After last night—after Brent’s kiss—I felt like I was walking on a thread stretched between two very different lives.And if I slipped?I wasn’t sure which side I’d land on.The soft hum of computers and quiet typing greeted me as usual, but today, the air felt... off. Stares lingered longer than they should. Conversations halted mid-sentence as I passed.I brushed it off—until I caught Trina’s voice behind me.“She stayed late again.”Liza’s whisper followed, sharp as a blade. “She’s been staying late a lot lately… with the CEO.”I froze, my grip tightening on the folder. I didn’t turn. I didn’t say a word. I just kept walking, my heels clicking against the marble floor, echoi