Semua Bab Whisked Away : Bab 121 - Bab 130

The exposé exploded across the city like a grenade.By dawn, Ethan’s smug interview was buried under a storm of damning revelations:“Ethan Cross Linked to Offshore Scandal.”“Millions Lost in Failed Investment Scheme.”“Secret Accounts Surface, Where Did the Money Go?”Reporters camped outside Ethan’s penthouse. Former partners suddenly “remembered” his ruthlessness. Whispers of fraud became full-throated accusations.But Ethan wasn’t a man who broke easily.By noon, he was already firing back, denying, deflecting, branding himself a victim of Luca’s “smear campaign.” He strode into a press conference in an immaculate navy suit, flanked by lawyers, his charisma dialed to perfection.“Luca DeLuca is terrified,” he declared. “He’ll stop at nothing to destroy me and the woman I love. Ask yourselves, why now? Why, just as Amara and I were about to reconcile, does he dredge up these lies? Because he’s afraid. Afraid she’ll see who truly cared for her.”The performance was flawless. Camera

By nightfall, the world had split into factions.On the giant screen in Times Square, the photo of Luca and Amara, hands entwined, standing before a sea of microphones, flashed again and again. Commuters craned their necks, pausing mid-stride to stare. Some cheered openly, clapping, as though their own voices had been heard through Amara’s declaration. Others shook their heads, muttering, “Too neat, too polished. She’s covering for him.”On social media, hashtags erupted like wildfire:#DeLucasUnited#AmaraSpeaks#TruthVsLiesInfluencers dissected Amara’s tone, stylists praised her dress as “armor,” analysts debated Luca’s hard stance against Ethan. Within hours, Amara was no longer just a name, she was a symbol.But symbols came with danger.In the glittering towers of Wall Street, investors huddled in boardrooms lit by midnight lamps.“DeLuca is stabilizing,” one banker muttered, running his hand through his thinning hair. “That speech worked. Their shares will hold.”“And Ethan?” a

The studio lights were blinding. Cameras sat like silent predators, their red recording dots waiting to devour every breath, every word. The countdown had already begun. Five minutes until live broadcast.But inside the prep room, Amara’s world was collapsing.Her trembling hands clutched the tablet, Noah’s photo still glowing on the screen. Ethan’s poison headline scrolled beneath it in bold:“SECRET CHILD "She pressed the device against her chest as if it could shield her son from the world’s hungry eyes. “He’s only seven, Luca. He’s just a boy. He doesn’t deserve this.”Luca crouched in front of her, his hands gripping hers firmly. “Listen to me. This is Ethan. This is his dirtiest play yet. He wants you paralyzed with fear. He wants you to run so he can claim victory.”Her breath came in shudders. “If I speak, Noah becomes a headline. If I don’t, Ethan writes the story for me.”Silence crackled between them, filled with the low hum of cameras warming up.“Then we outsmart him,” L

The tower was sealed. Guards patrolled the hallways, cameras monitored every entrance, and Luca’s team worked in shifts to make sure no one slipped past their watch.Yet that night, as Amara tucked Noah into bed, a knock came at the door. Not the penthouse door, but Noah’s bedroom door.“Mom?” Noah’s sleepy voice floated through the dark. “Did you send someone to give me this?”Amara’s chest tightened. She flicked on the lamp and stepped inside. Noah was sitting upright, clutching a small box wrapped in gold paper. A note was taped neatly to the top, written in elegant, unmistakable handwriting:“For Noah. Every child deserves the truth. –E.”Her knees buckled. The guards swore no one had been near the apartment, yet the box was here, nestled in her son’s hands as if it had appeared from the shadows themselves.“Noah, put it down,” she whispered sharply, her fingers trembling as she lifted it away. She pressed the intercom. “Luca, get up here. Now.”Seconds later, Luca stormed in with

The penthouse no longer felt like home.Every sound seemed amplified, the whir of the refrigerator, the distant hum of traffic, the elevator doors gliding open down the hall. Amara began to wonder if silence itself had become Ethan’s messenger, if he was somewhere, waiting, listening, smiling at her unease.Noah clung to her constantly now. Even during the day, he would pause mid-play, eyes darting to the corners of the room, as though expecting someone to step out of the shadows. His once carefree laughter had dwindled to a rare sound, replaced by questions that broke her heart.“Mama, if the bad man comes here… will you go with him so he won’t take me?”The question gutted her. She pulled him close, whispering over and over, “No one will take you. Not ever.” But deep down, her confidence frayed. What if Ethan wasn’t trying to take Noah physically? What if his aim was subtler—stealing Noah’s trust in her, piece by piece, until the boy no longer believed she could keep him safe?The