Semua Bab From Single Mom to the Billionaire's Queen: Aleira Tan: Bab 61 - Bab 70

Chapter 61: Sabotage in SilkPOV: AleiraThe soft hum of string instruments filled the grand ballroom of The Pavilion Hotel in Manila. Glittering chandeliers cast warm light over marble floors, while camera flashes flickered like distant lightning. This charity gala was the event of the season—co-hosted by Montenegro Enterprises and Lim Industries to support young scholars. Irony bit at my tongue like poison—I was once a poor student myself, and now, here I stood, draped in designer silk, wearing borrowed confidence and a forced smile.It was my first public appearance since my identity had been confirmed as a Lim. The truth was still hidden from the media, but word had begun to leak in elite circles. Eyes followed me with curiosity—some admiration, most suspicion.I walked in beside Henry Lim, my biological father, who had insisted I attend. Celeste, my birth mother, trailed behind in a powder-blue gown. They looked like the perfect power couple—graceful, polished, and calm.But I wa

Chapter 63: The Breaking PointPOV: AleiraThe night air clung heavy to my skin as I stood on the balcony of my apartment, staring into the dark Manila skyline. City lights blinked in the distance like empty promises. Everything that had happened in the past few days haunted me like unspoken truths I could no longer ignore.I clutched the edge of the railing tightly, the sting from earlier still fresh in my chest. My humiliation at the charity gala replayed like a cruel reel in my mind. The whispers, the judgmental eyes, and most of all—Brent’s silence.He didn’t say a word.He just stood there.Watching.Doing nothing.Like I was no one.Like we meant nothing.I blinked the tears away, refusing to cry again. I had cried enough for a lifetime.Lara stirred in the living room, her tiny voice murmuring in her sleep. I turned away from the balcony and moved to her side, brushing a strand of hair from her cheek."I’m sorry, baby," I whispered. "Mommy's trying. So hard."I had given Brent

Chapter 65: A Child’s PrayerPOV: AleiraThe rain tapped softly against the windowpane of our small apartment, a gentle rhythm that matched the heaviness in my chest. Lara was unusually quiet that evening, curled up on the couch with her stuffed bunny—its ears already a little frayed from all the nights it had comforted her.I stirred the pot of sopas on the stove, the creamy aroma filling the room, but there was no comfort in the scent today. Something felt... off. Different. Heavier."Mommy?" Lara’s soft voice broke through the silence.I turned, smiling gently. "Yes, baby?"She hugged her bunny tighter. "Is Mr. Brent mad at me?"My breath caught in my throat. I knelt beside her, brushing her bangs back. "No, sweetheart. Why would you think that?"She looked down, fingers playing with the bunny’s worn ribbon. "He hasn’t visited. Not even a call. He promised to teach me how to make pancakes, remember?"I swallowed hard, the lump in my throat growing heavier. "I know, baby... Brent’s

Chapter 67: Exposing the Web POV: BrentThe boardroom at Montenegro Enterprises was cold—sterile and oppressively silent. But beneath the sleek glass table and the whispering AC, something volatile brewed.I looked at the files before me, thick with evidence. Documents Adrian and I had gathered with the help of our private legal team, plus footage and testimonies from anonymous sources. It was all there—proof of how Sofia and Michael had worked hand-in-hand to destroy Aleira’s reputation.And the worst part?My parents had silently approved it all.I clenched my fists beneath the table.“I didn’t raise you to question your family like this,” my father growled, arms crossed, lips drawn in a deep frown.“Then maybe you shouldn’t have allowed our family to lie, manipulate, and destroy an innocent woman,” I snapped.Carmen’s eyes flickered, but she said nothing. Sofia sat beside her like a statue, composed and poised in her crimson suit, but I could see her knuckles tightening. Michael,

Chapter 69: The Real ProposalPOV: AleiraThe Lim Foundation Gala was the event of the year. Held at the grand ballroom of the Diamond Royale Hotel, the venue glittered with golden chandeliers and was filled with the elite of Philippine high society. Media personalities, business tycoons, and political figures buzzed through the hall, raising champagne flutes and exchanging polite conversations behind painted smiles. But I barely noticed any of them.My heart pounded.I stood near the marble staircase in a long ivory gown lent to me by a kind Lim family stylist. It shimmered subtly with every step I took, but inside, I didn’t feel like I belonged in something so grand. Henry Lim had insisted I attend, especially after the fake scandal that recently shook the media. He believed I needed to stand tall and visible.“You are not a secret,” Henry had told me earlier that week. “Let them whisper. You stand tall and let them know who they’re whispering about.”His words gave me courage, but