Lahat ng Kabanata ng The Billionaire’s Obsession: My Ex‑Wife Became a Queen: Kabanata 171 - Kabanata 180

The invitation had arrived six months ago, and Victoria had been dreading it ever since.The annual Medical Innovation Summit was the largest conference in the industry—thousands of doctors, researchers, philanthropists, and executives gathering to share ideas and celebrate breakthroughs. And they wanted her to give the keynote address.“You're perfect for it,” Dr. Simmons had said. “You're not a doctor or a researcher. You're a survivor. You're the voice of the patient.”“I'm a businesswoman who built a hospital,” Victoria had replied. “That doesn't make me qualified to give a keynote.”“It makes you exactly qualified.”Victoria had tried to get out of it. She had pleaded scheduling conflicts, family obligations, a baby who needed her at home. Dr. Simmons had been unmoved.“You founded the institute. You championed pediatric care when no one else would. You turned a dream into a reality that has saved thousands of lives.” Dr. Simmons had looked at her across her desk. “You're giving

Nathaniel had always been proud of Victoria. From the moment she had agreed to marry him—a marriage of convenience that had turned into something neither of them expected—he had watched her grow and change and become the woman she was meant to be. But this was different.This was watching the woman he loved change the world.The medical breakthrough had made headlines everywhere. Victoria’s face was on magazine covers, her name on everyone’s lips. She was being called a hero, a visionary, a savior. And Nathaniel, standing in the background as he always had, felt something he hadn’t expected.Pride. Not the quiet, private pride he had always felt. Something louder. Something that demanded to be seen.“You’re staring,” Victoria said, looking up from her laptop. They were in the living room, Michael asleep in the bassinet beside them, Liam doing homework at the kitchen table.“I’m admiring.”“Same thing.”“It’s not.” He crossed the room and sat beside her. “You’re remarkable. Do you know

The first headline appeared on a Wednesday.Victoria was sitting in her office at the institute, reviewing grant proposals, when her phone buzzed with a text from Patricia: “Have you seen this?” Followed by a link.She clicked it.“MEDICAL MOGUL’S DARK PAST: Victoria Hamilton’s Secret History of Betrayal and Deceit.”The article was everything Victoria had feared and nothing she had expected. It claimed she had stolen money from her first husband’s estate. It claimed she had manipulated Nathaniel into marriage. It claimed she had driven a wedge between Nathaniel and his mother for her own financial gain. It claimed—falsely, cruelly, ridiculously—that she had been having an affair with Marcus Chen for years.Victoria set down her phone and stared at the wall.The accusations were absurd. Anyone who knew her would see through them. But the tabloids didn’t cater to people who knew her. They catered to people who wanted a scandal, a villain, a story.And Victoria, it seemed, was the villa

The courtroom was cold, sterile, and utterly silent.Victoria sat at the plaintiff's table, her back straight, her hands folded in front of her. Beside her, Nathaniel was a wall of quiet strength. Behind her, Patricia and Liam sat in the gallery, Michael asleep in his grandmother's arms. Across the aisle, the tabloid's legal team shuffled papers and whispered among themselves.Six months of depositions, motions, and sleepless nights had led to this moment.“All rise,” the bailiff intoned. Judge Morrison entered, a silver-haired woman with sharp eyes and a reputation for fairness. Victoria had researched her extensively. She was neither a sympathizer nor a crusader. She was, above all, a woman who believed in the law.“Be seated,” Judge Morrison said. “We are here for the case of Hamilton versus Globe Media. Plaintiff, your opening statement.”Victoria's lawyer, a fierce woman named Elena Torres, rose to her feet. She was small, unassuming, and utterly relentless—the kind of lawyer who

Michael turned thirteen on a rainy Tuesday in April. Victoria woke to the sound of his voice—deeper now, cracking in unexpected places—arguing with Nathaniel about breakfast.“I don't want eggs.”“You need protein.”“I want cereal.”“Cereal isn't breakfast. It's sugar in a bowl.”“Dad, it's my birthday.”Nathaniel sighed. Victoria could hear the defeat in it. “Fine. Cereal. But only because it's your birthday.”She smiled and pulled the covers over her head.The teenage years had arrived with all the subtlety of a freight train.Michael, who had once been a sweet, affectionate child, had transformed into a creature of moods and mumbling. He spent hours in his room, door closed, music playing. He answered questions with grunts and sighs. He rolled his eyes so often Victoria worried they would get stuck.“It's normal,” Patricia said, watching Michael stomp through the kitchen. “Nathaniel was the same way.”“I was not,” Nathaniel said.“You were worse.”“I was charming.”“You were a nigh