Chapter 140: Breaking the CircleThe tension in Antonio’s Group grew tighter with each passing day. The threat of Henry's betrayal hung in the air; Miguel couldn't help but look over his shoulder, even in private. Miguel paced back and forth across the floor of Ximena's office while his mind reeled with schemes on how to handle their multiplying suspicions. Ximena sat with her elbows propped on her desk, sharp-eyed, going over Clara's findings once again."We need more than suspicion," Ximena said without looking up. Her voice was steady, but her hands had tightened on the edge of the desk. "If we confront Henry without solid proof, we risk tipping off Vega and worse, we could lose whatever leverage we still have."Miguel nodded, rubbing his chin in thought. "You're right. But we cannot afford to let this fester. If Henry's feeding Vega information, then we need to take action well before the quarterly report. We need proof, hard and clear."Ximena sank back in her chair, her gaze
"Miguel, I'm happy for this moment..."Ximena wrapped her arms around his neck as she cooed lovingly, mixed with the gasp due to the finished 'strenuous action',Just Before she could mutter "I love you", the man murmured in a hoarse voice."Tan..."Ximena froze.Tan was Tania Roberto, the first love of Miguel Ricardo. Tania hasn't returned to the country, she had stayed abroad all these years.But, Just yesterday, she arrived back in Mexico.Moreover, she had sent Ximena several provocative text messages. She wasn't yet over her Ex."Ximena, I'm back! You have to vacate from the Ricardo family! I'm back to take back what rightfully belongs to me.""Miguel and I are childhood sweethearts. Did you think you could replace me in just a few years? Get out! Get back to the Streets where you're likely to belong. You're doomed to remain in the streets forever.""You have no idea the amount of love Miguel has for me, or do you? Even if you share the same bed with him, he will only think of me
She turned around and walked out decisively.Miguel stared at her fading figure for a long time deep in his thoughts.Ximena used to be obedient and gentle when she was around me. But today, she seemed to take a tough stance."Did I do her an injustice?'"But, if it isn't her who drugged me, who else could it be?" Miguel thought in confusion.The two Duos arrived at the court that morning.Ximena wore a plain old-fashioned shirt, and Miguel had on a high-end black tuxedo suit. It may look strange when standing together but, They attracted the attention of many passers-by.Ximena didn't care about the looks. She just could not wait to end their relationship.In less than ten minutes, the depressing marriage finally came to an end.At the sight of the divorce certificate in her hand, Ximena was in a trance for a moment. She felt sad and happy at the same time."Behave yourself from now on." His cold voice rang out disrupting her thought.When Ximena looked up again, the man had already
Just a few minutes ago, she was so poor that she only had five dollars, not even enough for hailing a taxi.If her mother-in-law who hated the low-class families and never had any likeness towards Ximena suddenly finds out Ximena Was Ximena Antonio, the youngest daughter of the Antonio family, the richest family in the country, that she was a super-rich woman with a net worth of billions of dollars, how surprised would she possibly be?She remembered before she had regained her memory, her good friend in the orphanage was almost dying. She knelt, begging her mother-in-law, Evelyn Ricardo, to lend her some money.Evelyn proudly took out a platinum card but did not hand it to her. Instead, she showed off with it. "Guess how much money is in it? 500,000 dollars. You have never seen so much money in your life or have you?" She had said mockingly."But, I'd rather use it to buy something insignificant than give it to you. I won't lend you a penny! Your poor friend is nothing compared to my
After the divorce, she had no money and no family. How could she survive in the future?'Forget it. When she was at her wit's end, she would finally ask me for help.' Miguel thought and finally took his focus back to work.Ximena took a taxi back to the small villa where she lived with Miguel. This villa had witnessed all the sufferings she had gone through in the past three years.The memories were so miserable that she never wished to mention them anymore.Passing through the small garden in front of the gate, Ximena went straight upstairs to pack up and just couldn't wait to leave.However, just as she made her way to the first floor, a beautiful lady in the hall gazed back at her.In a snow-milky dress, the lady greeted Ximena with a gentle smile. "Hello Ximena, I haven't seen you for quite a while."Ximena was short of words immediately. She had never expected to see Tania right here in the villa.I've just divorced Miguel, and Miguel instantly gave Tania the key to the villa we
Hearing Ximena’s remark, Miguel frowned. When did I ever say I was to abandon her? And why would she have such thoughts?Bewilderment deluged him. Just as he was about to chase after her to talk things out, someone clutched at the hem of his suit pants from behind.On the ground, Tania lifted her face, looking all piteous.Sobbing softly, she rationalized, “Mig… I’m sorry. I was just afraid… I was afraid that you would’ve fallen in love with Ximena in the three years I’ve been away. I was scared that you wouldn’t want me anymore…”With his brows still creased together, Miguel looked down at her. The instant he glimpsed her slightly swollen cheek, his gaze softened. Ultimately, he reached out and helped her up, his voice turning gentle.“I’ve said that I’ll give you a status. A divorce was merely a matter of time. This time, you were too impatient.”Grasping his sleeve, Tania pouted forlornly.“It was all my fault, but I didn’t mean to hurt anyone. I just used the wrong method. Mig… pl
Chapter 6 : Let the game beginUpon arriving at the company, she went up to the receptionist and declared, “Please notify your current CEO that I’d like to see him.”The receptionist’s expression stiffened on the spot, as she scrutinized Ximena from head to toe.Although she’s quite pretty, her whole outfit costs less than a hundred dollars. On top of that, she demanded to see the CEO right off the bat. The Nerves!“Do you have an appointment?”In response, Ximena shook her head. “No.” Hearing that, the receptionist almost burst into a peal of hearty laughter.“You haven’t got an appointment, yet you dare come to Antonio Group and put up a fuss? I guess these days, even rats now have the guts to throw their weight around without knowing their place!” She snapped as she she laughed hysterically.The harsh and insulting words had a frown kissing Ximena’s countenance. “Is this how you usually greet clients here in Antonio Group?” She asked,as she clenched her jaws.Ximena's eyes narrowe
Chapter 7: The Battle for ControlXimena's declaration of intent to take over the Antonio Group sent shockwaves through the office. Alejandro's condescending smile faltered for a moment, before he regained his composure. "You're not serious, Ximena," he said, his voice laced with amusement. "You think you can just waltz in here and take control of a global corporation like Antonio Group?"Ximena's eyes narrowed, her gaze piercing. "I'm dead serious, Alejandro. And I won't let anyone, including you, stand in my way."Alejandro chuckled, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "You're not even a part of the company! I don't care what father told you," he snapped.Ximena's face remained determined, her jaw set. "I want to meet the board of directors" she sputtered,her eyes blazing as her gaze lingered.The tension between them was palpable, the air thick with unspoken challenges. Alejandro leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers together. "I admire your confidence, Sister. But
Chapter 140: Breaking the CircleThe tension in Antonio’s Group grew tighter with each passing day. The threat of Henry's betrayal hung in the air; Miguel couldn't help but look over his shoulder, even in private. Miguel paced back and forth across the floor of Ximena's office while his mind reeled with schemes on how to handle their multiplying suspicions. Ximena sat with her elbows propped on her desk, sharp-eyed, going over Clara's findings once again."We need more than suspicion," Ximena said without looking up. Her voice was steady, but her hands had tightened on the edge of the desk. "If we confront Henry without solid proof, we risk tipping off Vega and worse, we could lose whatever leverage we still have."Miguel nodded, rubbing his chin in thought. "You're right. But we cannot afford to let this fester. If Henry's feeding Vega information, then we need to take action well before the quarterly report. We need proof, hard and clear."Ximena sank back in her chair, her gaze
Chapter 139: Boundaries of TrustMiguel couldn’t shake the tension lingering after the latest meeting with Henry. Whereas the older board member did give some critical information, the web of suspicion around them seemed to only thicken. It would seem with every new revelation to deal with that the walls of Antonio's Group closed in; the thin line between friend and foe increasingly harder to define. Determined to protect Ximena and the company, Miguel knew they'd have to tread carefully with every decision.Longer meetings and quieter strategy sessions in the privacy of Ximena's office had run the day. As night fell, she leaned back in her chair, massaging her temples. "I can't shake the feeling that we're running out of time," she admitted, her tone thick with frustration.Miguel watched her closely, his chest constricting where the fatigue was etched across her features. "We'll get through this," he told her with a calm, yet resolved tone. "But we cannot afford to miss one det
Chapter 138: Shadows of BetrayalMiguel could feel the tension radiating through the air as he and Ximena prepared for their next meeting with Antonio’s Group’s core team. Every step toward unmasking the truth was like peeling away from hidden agendas and shadows.They'd tightened every security measure they could, yet it gnawed on him thinking that someone on the inside could be working against them.As they turned toward the conference room, Ximena stopped, staring off into space."The whole thing with Vega.... it's changed everything. I hate that we have to question people we once trusted."Miguel nodded, catching the tumult in her voice. "I know. But until we are sure, we can't take any chances. Vega has made it clear that he will exploit any weakness he finds."They entered the conference room, Ximena taking her seat at the head of the table with confidence belied by the tension in her features. A few board members filed in, one of them Henry who paid silent respect to Ximena b
Chapter 137: Shadows in the DarkEvery word in the email's subject was a promise of retribution, spelling out in detail what was envisioned to happen if Antonio's Group continued to resist the influence of Vega.Miguel's hands clamped down on his desk as if to restrain himself. But his gut was screaming at him, to act now.He strode toward Ximena's office in rapid, determined steps. She was still hunched over her desk going over files under the muted office lights."Ximena," he said low but urgent.She looked up; instant concern flickered in her eyes as she took in his tense expression. "What's wrong?"He showed her the email, watching her face change from shock to steely determination. "So Vega's threatening me now?" she muttered, her tone barely containing the anger. Miguel nodded, his voice equally strained. "It would appear he is becoming desperate. I do not want you here alone-not with these threats hanging over us. We are increasing your security detail immediately."She shook h
Chapter 136: Lines of DeceptionMiguel sat at his desk, his mind heavy with tension since the beginning of the day. First, it was the threatening messages to Ximena, which were unsettling; now he had another angle to contemplate-a batch of documents from Henry.The subject line had read:"For the Protection of Ximena," an unsolicited move by a man who had long kept himself aloof from the politics of business.Miguel passed the documents along to Ximena with a simple message: "Take a look at these when you have a minute."Within minutes, Ximena knocked on his door frame; her eyes were already filled with incredulity. She came in and closed the door behind her, looking at his expression for explanation. "You just sent me those documents from Henry?" she asked, brow furrowed while holding up her phone.Miguel nodded, gesturing her to his desk. "Yes. He says they contain critical details about Vega's takeover strategy, supposedly information he thinks we'll need to counter Vega's next mo
Chapter 135: Lines of TrustMiguel and Ximena worked tirelessly in the days leading up to Antonio Group’s quarterly report. They knew if Vega had any plans to strike, this report's release was the avenue to spread chaos. They made sure they were not going to allow that to happen by revisiting every single security protocol there was: access to sensitive files was tightened, background checks of all their team members were reviewed again, and access lists of all personnel that would be in contact with the report were reassessed.Miguel leaned over a stack of security files, his face tense as he scanned the list of employees with access to the report. "We need to ensure that nobody outside of that list sees anything of the report before it is released. One misplaced file or leak and it's going to spread faster than we will ever be able to contain it.Ximena nodded, her intensity level matching his. "Agreed. We're in the spotlight more than ever right now. Vega's just waiting for us to
Chapter 134: A Suspicious AllyBack at the office, Miguel sat at his desk, the recent conversation with the unknown number weighing heavy on his mind. The interest of Vega for his support sounded disconcerting, unethical and not good enough to act upon. They needed hard evidence, concrete plans that could stop Vega's influence from dribbling any further into Antonio's Group. Just as he reached for his coffee, a knock came from his door."Miguel, may I have a minute?" the voice of Henry, one of the oldest board members, filtered through.He had always been present, the man who had shared work with Ximena's father in the past.Miguel nodded to let him in. "Of course, Mr. Henry. What seems to be the problem?"Henry shut the door behind him and for the first time, his face was somber.He sat down facing Miguel and wrung his hands."I'm coming to you because I feel this is the time I need to say something important. Vega… he contacted me recently and proposed a deal to work against Anto
Chapter 133: Bound by Trust Most of the day had been taken up at Antonio's Group, poring over the security protocols. They went over every recent interaction and activity by each board member with fine-tooth combs. Trust was even more fragile now since the confluence with Salazar. "We can't afford to miss anything," Ximena whispered, her eyes running down the latest reports. "I want to believe the rest of our board is loyal, but after what Salazar pulled, I won't take any chances." Miguel nodded, his eyes unflinching. "We are on the same page. And if anyone else gives any indication of being disloyal, the same thing that happened with Salazar will happen to them." They exchanged a glance; the weight of the day crowded in upon them suddenly. As the hours wore on, tiredness crept in to let them know they had reached their limit for today. Miguel looked at his timepiece and let the breath out. "Let's head back. We can pick this up tomorrow with fresh eyes," he said, giving her
Chapter 132: Breaking the SilenceMiguel continued pacing his office, the echo of Ximena's words from last night still reverberating in his head. She had asked him not to let her go, and he felt the weight of her trust settling deep inside. Their fragile but growing bond with each passing moment had become his source of motivation. But for that, he knew they had to bring an end to Vega's shadow over Antonio's Group and fast.Ximena entered the room, a determined look on her face. "I went over more of Salazar's records this morning," she said, handing him a folder. "The pattern is there, Miguel. Encrypted messages, confidential files shared outside our firewall, all leading back to him."Miguel took the folder, scanning over the documents she'd gone through and meticulously marked."So it is true. He's been feeding Vega with all that he needs to keep fanning doubt inside the company. The timing of these leaks, it has been deliberate. But we will have to make our approach with him su