جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 180

“Four months pregnant. The nausea, the tiredness, the emotional ups and downs all normal for a healthy second-trimester pregnancy.” Dr. Patel smiled gently. “You’re going to have a baby.”Katherina’s vision got blurry. The walls felt like they were closing in. Four months. That meant That first night. The hotel room. No protection, just passion and promises.“No,” she whispered. “No, that can’t be right.”But even as she said it, her hand moved to her stomach. To the small, slight curve she’d thought was just weight gain from stress.Everything went black.She woke up on the examination table with her mother’s worried face above her and a cold cloth on her forehead.“Easy, mija. You fainted.”Katherina stared at the ceiling. The word echoed in her head. Pregnant. Pregnant. Pregnant.“A baby,” she whispered.“Yes.” Her mother’s voice was thick with tears. “A baby.”Katherina sat up slowly, her hand still pressed against her stomach. Four months. Nicholas’s child. The only good thi

“Amelia has already filed for divorce. It’s over, Alejandro.”“No, it’s not.” Alejandro pulled out his phone and showed them a legal document. “The divorce petition was blocked. Permanently. By a judge I hired. Amelia is still my wife. Legally. Whether she likes it or not.”Marisa gasped. “You blocked the divorce?”“She didn’t give me a choice. She wouldn’t talk to me. Wouldn’t let me see Leo. Wouldn’t let me prove my innocence.” Alejandro’s voice was firm. “I blocked the divorce because I’m not giving up on my marriage. I’m not giving up on my son. And I’m sure as hell not marrying Gabriella Guerra.”Doña Isabella’s face turned red with fury. “You stubborn, foolish boy! Do you know what you’ve done? Amelia will hate you for this!”“She already hates me. But at least this way, she has to face me. Has to listen to the truth.” He looked at both women. “I came here to tell you in person I’m not following your orders. I’m going back to New York. I’m going to clear my name. I’m going to

“Yes.”“You wanted revenge,” Sofia continued smoothly. “You wanted him to suffer for choosing Amelia. This is what real revenge looks like. It’s not tears. It’s not shouting. It’s strategy.”Gabriella swallowed. “And it will work?”“Oh, it will work,” Sofia said calmly. “But once we start, there’s no going back to being the victim. You’ll be the villain in his story.”Gabriella stared at Alejandro’s frozen face one last time.“Fine,” she whispered. “Do whatever you need to do.”Sofia’s smile widened.“That’s my girl.”NEW YORK - AMELIA’S PENTHOUSE - THAT EVENINGAmelia was in the kitchen making tea when she heard a groan from the living room.“Ariana?” She rushed in to find her best friend doubled over on the couch, holding her very pregnant belly.“I think—” Ariana gasped. “I think the baby’s coming.”“What? Now? You’re only eight months!”“Tell that to the baby!” Ariana groaned again, her face pale. “My water just broke. Call Daniel. Call the hospital. Call someone!”Amelia’s traini

NEW YORK - ARIADNE HEADQUARTERSThe gossip sites exploded that morning with a new scandal.BREAKING: Nicholas Hale Affair Exposed - Slept His Way to Ariadne MergerThe article included photos. Text messages. Hotel receipts. All showing that Nicholas had been having an affair with Katherina Rodriguez ex-wife of Damien Blackwood and mother of Daniel Blackwood’s twin daughters while negotiating the Ariadne-Blackwood merger.“Sources say Hale used the relationship to gain insider information about Blackwood Industries through Rodriguez’s intimate family connections, giving Ariadne an unfair advantage in negotiations,” the article claimed.Within an hour, Nicholas was called into an emergency board meeting.“This is a disaster,” the CEO said, throwing the printed article on the table. “You slept with a Blackwood family member? During merger negotiations? What were you thinking?”“It wasn’t like that—”“It doesn’t matter what it was like! It looks like corporate espionage. It looks like you

BLACKWOOD INDUSTRIES - BOARD ROOM - MORNINGThe monthly board meeting was in full swing. Twenty executives sat around the massive mahogany table, reviewing quarterly reports and discussing merger strategies. Alexander Blackwood sat at the head of the table, looking every bit the powerful patriarch he was.Vivian sat three seats down, dressed in a sharp red suit, confidently presenting the latest acquisition numbers.“As you can see from slide twelve,” Vivian said, pointing to the screen, “our stock price has increased by eighteen percent since we announced the Ariadne partnership. Investors are very pleased with—”The conference room doors burst open.Six FBI agents in dark suits stormed in, badges held high.“Nobody move!” the lead agent shouted.The room erupted into chaos. Executives jumped to their feet. Papers scattered. Someone dropped their coffee mug, and it shattered on the floor.“What is the meaning of this?” Alexander demanded, standing up.The lead agent walked directly