CHAPTER 43

Here’s the completed version with an expanded word count of 1,350 words, deepening the tension, character emotions, and stakes.

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The Morning News Hit Like a Wrecking Ball

"Solomon’s Secret Scandal: Fiona Price Pregnant with Billionaire’s Child!"

"Betrayal and Deception: Is Fiona Using the Baby to Trap Darwin?"

"Darwin Solomon’s Empire Shaken by Personal Scandal!"

Fiona sat frozen in Thalassa’s apartment, her fingers tightening around her phone as she read the articles. Each headline twisted the truth into something ugly, something damning. They painted her as a schemer, a manipulator—a woman desperate to cling to power by any means necessary.

William had made his next move. And it was brutal.

Thalassa snatched the phone from Fiona’s hands, her expression darkening with every word she read. “This is disgusting,” she muttered. “They’re making it sound like you planned this pregnancy just to control Darwin.”

Fiona swallowed the lump in her throat. “That’s exactly what William wants. To turn the public against me. To make Darwin doubt me.”

Thalassa slammed the phone onto the table. “You can’t let them get away with this.”

Fiona exhaled, trying to calm the storm raging inside her. She had spent too long being a pawn in other people’s games. It was time she played to win.

Darwin’s Awakening

Across the city, Darwin Solomon stood in his office, gripping the edge of his desk as the news reports flashed across the TV.

Fiona. Pregnant.

He had known, of course. But now the world knew. And the way they twisted it—the way they made it sound like she had planned this as some calculated move—it made his blood boil.

William had done this.

Darwin clenched his fists, his mind racing. This wasn’t just an attack on Fiona. It was an attack on their child.

And that, he wouldn’t forgive.

A soft knock at the door made him turn.

Bella stepped inside, a faux look of concern on her face. “Darwin… I just saw the news. This is awful.”

He studied her carefully, something shifting in his mind.

For years, he had trusted Bella. He had allowed her into his world, into his business. But now, pieces of the puzzle were finally falling into place.

Bella had always been there, whispering in his ear. Twisting his perception of Fiona. Making him believe she was something she wasn’t.

He exhaled sharply. “You knew, didn’t you?”

Bella blinked. “What?”

Darwin took a slow step forward. “You knew William was going to do this.”

Bella hesitated, just for a fraction of a second. But it was enough.

Darwin’s jaw clenched. “You were never on my side, were you?”

Bella forced a laugh, stepping closer. “Darwin, don’t be ridiculous. I’ve always been loyal to you.”

But he could see it now—the manipulation, the deceit.

“You and William have been playing me for years,” he said coldly. “And I was too blind to see it.”

Bella’s mask cracked for the briefest moment. A flicker of panic crossed her face before she regained her composure.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said smoothly. “But if you want to throw away our friendship over some baseless paranoia, be my guest.”

Darwin didn’t respond. He simply turned his back to her.

The conversation was over.

And so was Bella’s hold over him.

Fiona’s Resolve

Fiona paced the living room, every muscle in her body coiled with frustration. “William thinks he can destroy me with a scandal? He has no idea who he’s dealing with.”

Thalassa smirked. “Now that’s the energy I like to see.”

Fiona stopped and turned to her. “I need proof. I need to expose William for everything he’s done.”

Thalassa nodded. “Then we go after his weak spots.”

She pulled out a tablet, opening a file she had been compiling for months. “William has done a lot of shady things over the years. But the one thing he’s always been careful about? Keeping his hands clean.”

Fiona narrowed her eyes. “So we find the dirt he’s hidden.”

Thalassa smirked. “Exactly.”

For hours, they dug through records, traced transactions, and looked for any connection between William and the fabricated allegations against Darwin. It wasn’t easy—William was meticulous.

But then, they found it.

A document buried deep in a digital archive. A direct communication between William and a media executive—one that confirmed he had orchestrated the scandal against Fiona.

Thalassa grinned. “Bingo.”

Fiona’s breath hitched. This was it. This was the proof they needed.

She grabbed her phone and dialed Darwin.

“We got him,” she said the moment he answered.

Darwin’s voice was steel. “Then let’s end this.”

The Reckoning

The next morning, Fiona walked into Solomon Enterprises, her head held high. Cameras flashed as reporters shouted questions, but she ignored them.

Inside, Darwin was waiting.

He met her gaze, something different in his eyes.

Something like admiration.

“You’re sure about this?” he asked.

Fiona nodded. “We release the evidence. Publicly. No more playing defense.”

Darwin studied her for a long moment before nodding. “Let’s do it.”

Lucas entered, holding a flash drive. “The media is already waiting. Once we release this, William’s empire will crumble.”

Darwin took the drive, his grip tightening. “Then let’s burn it all down.”

A Dangerous Warning

That evening, as the world watched William’s empire fall apart, Fiona received a message.

A simple text from an unknown number.

You think this is over? You’ve only just begun.

Fiona’s breath caught.

Because attached was a photo.

Of her.

Taken from outside her apartment.

Someone was still watching her.

A chill crept down her spine as she stared at the image. It wasn’t just a warning. It was a message.

A declaration that William—or someone even more dangerous—was still in the game.

Thalassa leaned over Fiona’s shoulder, her jaw tightening. “This isn’t over.”

Fiona forced herself to take a deep breath. No. It wasn’t.

But she wasn’t the same woman she had been before.

She wasn’t just reacting anymore. She was fighting back.

And whoever had sent that message?

They were about to find out exactly what that meant.