All Chapters of The Return Of The Betrayed Bride : Chapter 91 - Chapter 100

THE FAVINO MANSION, MINUTES LATERBefore Amelia could say anything else, footsteps echoed in the hallway.Ariana entered the solarium, holding a small pharmacy bag. She froze the moment she saw the velvet box in Amelia’s hands.Her eyes narrowed. “What’s that?”Elena exhaled shakily. “A Guerra-style rose.”Ariana’s jaw tightened. “Let me see.”Amelia handed her the box. Ariana opened it, stared at the rose for two seconds, then shut it again with a sharp snap.“Esteban Guerra sent this?” she asked.“Looks like it,” Serena said softly.Ariana’s face darkened. “Great. Just what we needed. That old vulture thinks he can scare you.”Amelia crossed her arms. “It didn’t scare me.”“It should scare somebody,” Ariana muttered, “because I’m about two seconds away from driving to the Guerra estate and setting something on fire.”“Ariana,” Elena groaned. “You can’t just burn people’s houses.”Ariana shrugged. “I can try.”Amelia rubbed her forehead. “Let’s not start a war at breakfast.”But deep

THE FAVINO ESTATE — LATE MORNINGThe house felt different after Marisa left.Amelia noticed it first.The servants moved softly, avoiding eye contact. Phones were kept on silent. Even the sunlight pouring through the tall windows felt restrained, like it didn’t want to interrupt whatever storm was building.She sat on the sofa with Leo beside her, helping him stack wooden blocks. Her hands were steady, but her mind wasn’t.Alejandro stood near the window, phone pressed to his ear. He hadn’t moved in ten minutes.“Yes,” he said quietly. Pause. “No, don’t stop anything. Let it play out.” Another pause. “Keep me informed. Every hour.”He ended the call and stayed still, staring outside.Amelia didn’t rush him.She’d learned that when Alejandro went quiet, it meant he was thinking ten steps ahead.Leo placed the last block and smiled proudly.“Look, Mama. A tower.”She smiled back. “It’s perfect.”A beat passed.Then she looked up at Alejandro. “That was Valencia, wasn’t it?”He turned sl

ALEJANDRO STUDY ROOM ~ SPAINAmelia’s voice dropped, almost a whisper against the heavy silence of the study. “But I can’t do it alone.”Alejandro, who had been leaning against the doorframe, straightened. He nodded slowly. “Who do you need?”“I need Ariana,” Amelia said, the plan solidifying as she spoke. “She was a forensic accountant in blackwood company before she resigned. She sees patterns in chaos. I think clearer when she’s with me. We can dissect this.”Alejandro’s lips curved into a faint, approving smile. “Then when she returns from the city, the study is yours. Both of you. No interruptions. My mother’s staff will not disturb you.”THAT SAME EVENING Amelia stepped up to the tall window, hugging herself as if to keep from falling apart.She stared out at the dark gardens below. In the distance, the soft glow of Valencia shimmered so close, yet a world away from this gilded cage.The study door clicked quietly behind her. She didn’t look back. Her reflection in the glass wa

The door clicked shut behind Alejandro. The silence hit immediately.Amelia let out a slow breath and pressed both hands to the desk. “Get it together,” she muttered to herself.She looked at her reflection in the mirror again. Hair slightly messy. Cheeks flushed. Eyes too bright.“Great,” she sighed. “Very professional.”She reached for her phone and dialed quickly.“Ariana,” she said the second the call connected. “Please tell me you’re still in Valencia.”A pause. Then Ariana’s amused voice. “I am. Why do you sound like you just survived an emotional earthquake?”Amelia closed her eyes. “Because I did. Listen are you free tonight?”Ariana laughed softly. “That depends. Are we talking wine and gossip free, or corporate disaster free?”“Corporate disaster,” Amelia said. “Big one.”That got Ariana’s attention. “Okay. I’m listening.”“I need you at the mansion,” Amelia continued. “Marisa dumped a logistics mess on me. Missing numbers. Bad contracts. Something isn’t right.”Ariana humme

“We plug the leak quietly,” Amelia continued. “We redirect the money back through a clean account one we control. The company becomes profitable again. And Tío Arturo keeps thinking his little scheme is working… until we need leverage.”Alejandro ran a hand through his hair. “My mother will know.”“Or she already suspects,” Amelia said. “Or this is her test to see if I’m smart enough to find it.”Ariana frowned. “Either way, this is dangerous.”“Yes,” Amelia said calmly. “But it’s a danger I can manage.”She stood up, energy sharp and focused now.“If I fail, I’m finished,” she said. “I look incompetent.”“And if you succeed?” Ariana asked.“I save her company,” Amelia replied. “And I quietly expose a traitor.”Alejandro’s jaw tightened. “That puts you in the line of fire.”Amelia met his eyes. “Your mother wanted proof I belong here.”A small, steady smile appeared on her lips.“I’ll give her proof.”Ariana let out a slow breath. “Remind me never to cross you.”Amelia smiled, but th