All Chapters of From Single Mom to the Billionaire's Queen: Aleira Tan: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Chapter 21: Return of the Wrong ManPOV: AleiraThe scent of freshly brewed coffee filled the office pantry, a small comfort in my otherwise chaotic mind. I stirred the cream slowly, letting the repetitive motion calm my nerves. Today was supposed to be like any other Monday—emails, reports, a few stolen glances at Brent—but there was a heaviness I couldn’t shake. A sense of dread, creeping in like a shadow I couldn’t outrun.“Aleira, you okay?” My new friend Macy, the bubbly marketing assistant, asked as she opened the fridge.I forced a smile. “Just tired. Lara stayed up all night with a bad dream.”Macy pouted. “Poor baby. Bad dreams are the worst.” She paused. “Speaking of nightmares… did you hear about the visitor at the lobby this morning?”I frowned. “Visitor?”“Yeah, this guy caused a small scene with security. Said he was looking for someone but didn’t have an appointment. Claimed he knew someone in the executive department. Total drama.”Something twisted in my gut.“What di

Chapter 23: A Father’s Claim or a Threat?POV: AleiraPeace used to be a luxury I couldn’t afford. Now that I finally had a taste of it—with Brent’s steady arms wrapped around me at night and Lara’s laughter filling our tiny apartment—I was ready to fight tooth and nail to protect it.But some ghosts don’t stay buried.And Michael was one of them.We sat in the sleek, modern conference room of Montenegro Group's legal division. The walls were glass, but the atmosphere was thick—heavy with tension.Atty. Salazar, a silver-haired lawyer with a sharp gaze, flipped through the documents in front of us.Brent sat beside me, his thumb gently grazing my knuckles under the table. His presence alone made my spine straighten, my voice steadier.“So, just to confirm,” the lawyer said, “he has never paid child support? No letters, no visits, no effort at all in five years?”“None,” I said firmly. “He vanished the moment I told him I was pregnant.”“And now he wants to claim parental rights?” Sala

Chapter 25: When Lara SmilesPOV: AleiraThere’s a kind of magic in a child’s smile.Not the kind made of fairy dust or glitter, but the kind that heals you—slowly, quietly, without asking permission.That morning, it was Lara’s smile that reminded me I hadn’t just survived the storm—I’d found sunshine after it.We were back from Brent’s beach estate and sitting around the dining table in his penthouse. Lara had just burst into a fit of laughter after Brent made her pancakes shaped like animals—one of them was supposed to be a bear, but it looked more like a misshapen blob with ears.“It’s a dancing potato!” she squealed, giggling uncontrollably.Brent scratched his head with mock confusion. “Hey! That’s my finest work yet!”I chuckled as I cut Lara’s pancake into bite-sized pieces. “A for effort.”“And what about you?” he asked, sitting beside me with a steaming mug. “Still nervous about work?”I shrugged. “A little. But I’m learning to breathe through it.”“Good. Because you don’t n

Chapter 27: The Truth WinsPOV: AleiraI thought the courtroom victory would bring peace.But peace, I was learning, doesn’t come in grand announcements.It arrives in stolen moments—like the way Lara giggled during her bubble bath that night. Or how Brent tucked her in gently, brushing a kiss on her forehead as if she were his own flesh and blood.We were safe, for now.And yet… something still churned deep in my chest.Because people like Michael didn’t accept defeat easily.They came back swinging.---The morning after the ruling, I dropped Lara off at school as usual. She skipped along the sidewalk, her pink backpack bouncing with each step."Mommy, can we get strawberry donuts later?""Only if you behave in class today," I teased, ruffling her hair.She grinned and kissed my cheek. "Deal!"As I watched her walk inside, waving at her teacher, a lump formed in my throat.She didn’t know what had happened yesterday. She didn’t know how close I’d come to losing time with her—to bein

Chapter 29: The Price of SecretsPOV: AleiraIt began with a look.A lingering glance between Brent and me in the elevator. Not too obvious, not overt. But enough for anyone paying attention to know something had shifted.And people were definitely paying attention.By the time we stepped out on the executive floor, I could feel it in the air.The stares. The whispers.The speculation.And it wasn’t just about me anymore.It was us.---“Did you see that?” Janine whispered to Camille as I passed.I kept my chin high and walked straight to my desk.Janine caught up with me seconds later, grinning like she knew a juicy secret.“Okay, spill it. Why did the CEO walk in with you, holding your coffee?”I blinked. “He handed me coffee. Not the moon.”She raised an eyebrow. “Uh-huh. And why are you glowing like someone got kissed before breakfast?”I opened my laptop and tried to ignore the heat crawling up my neck.Janine gasped. “Oh my god, you did. You and the CEO!”“Janine,” I warned.She