All Chapters of From Single Mom to the Billionaire's Queen: Aleira Tan: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

Chapter 31: Cracks in the PedestalPOV: AleiraThe envelope remained unopened.Even though I had already refused the Montenegro offer—without hesitation, without regret—it still sat at the bottom of my drawer like a ghost.Not because I was tempted.But because I needed the reminder.That once again, I had to fight for what I loved… and that this time, it wasn’t just about survival.It was about staying.About choosing to stay when it was easier to walk away.---Brent didn’t ask about the meeting again.I didn’t offer any details, and he didn’t push. Whether it was because he trusted me or because he was afraid of what I’d say, I couldn’t tell.But something shifted between us after that day.Not in the dramatic, explosive way that marked most of my past.It was quieter.More careful.We were still close—still warm—but I caught him watching me more often, as if trying to read a language he hadn’t fully learned.Maybe he sensed I was holding something back.And maybe I was.But how co

Chapter 33: When Elegance ReturnsPOV: AleiraElegance had a name.Sofia Hales.And when she walked into Montenegro Enterprises, the whole building changed.I felt it before I even saw her.The sudden hush in the hallway. The way whispers slithered through conversations. The shift in posture from staff who had once slouched casually at their desks now sitting up, alert.It was like someone had turned the air into glass—clear, cold, and about to shatter.I was at my desk, organizing a report for Brent’s upcoming presentation, when Janine slid into the chair beside me, wide-eyed and whispering like we were in a confessional booth.“She’s here.”I didn’t have to ask who.Janine didn’t smirk this time. Didn’t deliver it with gossip-girl glee.This was something else. A warning.I straightened. “Where?”“Top floor. Brent’s private lounge.”Of course.The one only a few people had access to.I wasn’t one of them.Not anymore.It wasn’t jealousy.It was something heavier.Sharper.The feelin

Chapter 35: Dressed to DisappearPOV: AleiraThe invitation was addressed to "Ms. Aleira Tan," but it might as well have been blank.Cream cardstock. Gold-embossed lettering. Montenegro Enterprises’ annual Heritage and Hope Gala—a night for elite donors, dignitaries, and society’s most polished faces.It felt like an illusion the moment it touched my fingertips.Still, I dressed for it.A fitted navy gown hugged my figure with understated elegance, my hair pinned in soft curls. Lara had watched me from the couch, her wide eyes glowing.“Mommy, you look like a princess.”I kissed her forehead. “Only because you’re my magic.”She didn’t know I was walking into a ballroom built to erase me.Brent met me at the entrance of the Hilton Grand Ballroom.His eyes raked over me like I was the only thing that existed.“You look…” He stopped short, breath caught in his throat. “Breathtaking.”“You don’t look so bad yourself,” I teased, admiring the clean lines of his black tux, the subtle dark re

Chapter 37: Adrian, AgainPOV: Aleira---I didn’t expect him to show up at Lara’s school.But there Adrian was—leaning casually against his matte black SUV, sunglasses tucked into his blazer pocket, holding a small bouquet of sunflowers and a paper bag of Lara’s favorite cookies.He looked so out of place among the parents in slippers and worn-out polo shirts, and yet—he smiled at everyone like he belonged there.Because that’s Adrian Rivera.He fits wherever he wants to.Even in the cracks I’ve been trying to patch shut.---“Hey, superstar,” he said as Lara skipped toward him with glee, ignoring me completely.“Uncle Adrian!” she squealed.He bent down to her height and handed over the flowers. “For the little girl who got a perfect score in her spelling test.”Lara gasped, cradling the blooms like a princess. “Mommy, look!”I smiled, even as unease curled in my stomach. “You didn’t have to.”“I wanted to,” Adrian said, glancing at me.That look again.Soft. Familiar. Dangerous.--

Chapter 39: Michael ResurfacesPOV: AleiraThere’s a strange peace that comes just before a storm.Like the world holds its breath—too still, too quiet.I felt that stillness as I stepped out of Montenegro Enterprises that Friday afternoon, the weight of the week hanging on my shoulders like soaked fabric.The whispers. Carmen’s games. Brent’s silence. The fires I kept putting out while trying not to burn myself.I told myself I just needed rest.A warm meal. A laugh from Lara. Maybe Brent’s arms wrapped around me again, whispering that none of this would break us.But life rarely waits for your healing before it wounds you again.---My phone buzzed just as Lara and I were stepping off the jeep near our apartment.Unknown number.I hesitated, thumb hovering.Then curiosity got the better of me.“Hello?”The voice on the other end sent a chill down my spine.“Well, well. Look who finally answers.”Michael.Lara’s father.The man who left me in the rain with a broken promise and an unb