Chapter 83Ximena sat at the head of the conference table. A heavyweight silence fell upon the room. Her team was there, Carlos and Robert, a couple of other key executives all donning faces as solemn as the situation they were in. She was elsewhere, though. Still, her mind could not get off what Miguel had told her last night.Behind it all was Tania: the leaks, the sabotage. Since the instant Tania had reappeared in Miguel's life, Ximena had known that she was trouble, but she had not known what to expect, how grave her betrayal would be. Now, with the company near collapse, there was little time left to stop her.We've ascertained that the leaks came from Tania's side," he said, finally breaking the silence. "But we do not have concrete evidence we can take to the board. We need concrete, irrefutable evidence.Ximena frowned; tapping her fingers on the table. "Tania is not going to make this easy. She's already threatening to expose the company and with that, bury us if we don't
Chapter 84She couldn't move, couldn't shift her gaze away from the name on his screen: Alejandro Vega. And then it was clear to her – the wave descended in her mind, leaving her trembling. Vega Investment was not only a threat from outside the company but also inside the company with a mole yet unknown.And Tania? The plan is part of Alejandro, nothing more than that.Miguel was standing next to her and he seemed to be even more pale than he usually is. She saw the shock and the anger in his eyes and there was guilt in them. They were paying the price for Tania; she had been his mistake.Just when they could go on with the conversation, Carlos made a dry cough to remind them of the reality. "This is big, Ximena. If we could only attribute this to Vega, then, we might just have a shot at taking them down.”Ximena smiled although inside her head she was thinking. "But for that, we’ll have to have more than emails alone. We require solid proof that the board cannot wave aside.”“We’v
Chapter 85Ximena took the car back to her apartment and her hands clutched the wheel more than before. The thoughts of last with Miguel still clouded her mind as she tried to shove it off to concentrate on the pressing problem.The rapidly spinning wheels made the outskirts of the city seem as if they where melting away and her mind was racing with thoughts. ‘Tania knew.’ She had guessed what they were going to do and now they had no more time in their hands. It had taken Ximena all of her strength just to get out of Miguel’s apartment. The passion of their kiss, the proximity to the state of losing control; it had disoriented her.But there was no time for such thoughts at the moment. Not while Tania is busy threatening to destroy everything they have built.Finally, when Ximena arrived at her apartment, she was able to barely slip into her apartment and open the door before her phone rang. It was Carlos. She was taken aback for a moment, and then regained herself to respond to
Chapter 86New Discovery The quietness that had descended the room was almost oppressive, this decision resting on her as something that was almost physically possible to bear and which could make her flat. She sat at the desk to look at the contract that Vega Investment Company had forwarded her with. Here it lay, in front of her, daring her, challenging her, promising a solution - the promise of saving Antonio’s Group.But at what cost?She would be agreeing to Alejandro Vega’s terms - taking her family’s company with him, the man who was indeed responsible for its ruin. That was a fairly bitter pill to swallow. She had worked so hard to struggle for this company, and now the only way she found to save it was to surrender.She looked at the time; soon Miguel would come. They were to discuss the plan of their next action, but Ximena could not get rid of that oppressive feeling in her breast. This wasn't only about the company now; it was all about everything: her life, her love
Chapter 87 Her office was still, too still. The calm before the storm, Ximena told herself as she settled back in her chair and glanced down at the files on the desk. The betrayal by Richard was still fresh and it seemed to be tearing a canal through her heart.The man who she thought was her family had been working with Vega all along and tearing down all her family had worked for. And now the board meeting was not far off. In two days, she would have to assure the board that Antonio’s Group was not the company that everyone thought was on its way down.It left no chance for pause. Not anymore.The sudden buzzing of her phone in her hand snapped her back from her thoughts. "I need to see you. I have something important."With a mere, fast, and almost inaudible breath, she complied to his demand, to meet him in his office. With every second that elapsed they were propelled either to victory or to the very edges of defeat where nothing at all remained. As Ximena picked up her belo
Chapter 88 Miguel saw Ximena turn and leave his office, her hand coming off his hand. His chest raced, and the remnants of their kiss still burned him, as though he craved the flames of the fire he pursued. He wished to run after her, grab her by the arm, turn her around and have his way with her. But she was right. It was too much to lose and if they did not concentrate then everything that they had strived for would crumble.However, he felt a twinge of pain in his chest whenever she told him they would sort things out at some other time. He had already lost her once; he couldn’t afford to do it again. He still remembered the feel of their lips on each other and that was enough to convince him that there was still something between them that would help to turn things around.But first they had to contend with Tania.Miguel’s phone rang on the desk and he looked at it and sighed when he saw that it was Tania. She was calling again. He despised this game; he knew he still had to b
Chapter 89The wall clock seemed to tick louder than usual, each passing second a grim reminder that for all intents and purposes, time was running out. Ximena sat at her desk, going over notes she had compiled in preparation for the upcoming board meeting. The tension was thick in the air, and Ximena could hardly focus on what she was reading. Her mind kept drifting back to Miguel and his confrontation with Tania.He had been somewhat tight-lipped about the particulars over the phone. Just that Tania had threatened them both and dropped intimations that there were further players.Who else would be against them now?A sudden rap at her door sent her jumping. She snapped herself together quickly enough to call out, "Come in."The door opened and Robert stepped inside, grimmer than usual. "We need to talk."Ximena felt the knot in her stomach tighten. She nodded and gestured to him to take a seat. Robert was her strongest supporter on the board, the one person she had trusted during
Chapter 90Miguel was standing outside Tania’s penthouse, the wind blew harsh against his skin. The discomfort in his chest rose since the time Ximena called him, her voice trembling saying someone has been stalking her after leaving Gregor’s office. He did not like it, no way. Tania was getting desperate, and desperate people were dangerous.He rang the bell and tried to control his anxiety. This meeting was crucial. There were more players in this game, and Tania knew more than she cared to reveal, and before he played this game anymore he had to find out who the other players were.The door opened and there was Tania standing in the doorway with a wicked smile on her lips. “Miguel,” she slid across the door frame and stood to one side to let him into the house. “I didn’t think you’d still be awake at this time.”Miguel entered the room and just upon entering he started looking around the room. It was the same grande environment that he had become accustomed to; paintings on the wa
Chapter 165: The Final ReckoningThe night was unusually still, the quiet broken only by the occasional distant car passing by. Ximena had fallen into a light sleep, her body exhausted from the strain of the past few days. But the sudden sound of a floorboard creaking in her apartment jolted her awake.Her heartbeat made a sudden jump to her throat and she glanced toward the living room. The darkness caused by the streetlights outside only appeared to make things even more quiet.The man standing in the doorway leading into the living room was plain to see.Tania.She was standing there, gripping the gun firmly, her eyes were wide open and looked like they had gone mad. Ximena looked paralyzed with a cold feeling running around her body.“Well, well, here we are meeting in person,” Tania spat out her words and was clearly angry. “I knew this would be the moment every time. You never thought that I could do them, did you?”Ximena’s heart beat faster, but she did not allow her tone to
Chapter 164: A Dangerous EncounterMiguel’s fists connected with the first thug’s jaw with a sickening thud, sending the man stumbling back, his head snapping to the side. Ximena watched from her car, her breath caught in her throat. The sound of the scuffle was echoing down the alley, but she couldn't hear anything except for the pure power and perfection in Miguel's movements.He moved like a force of nature: his muscular frame twisting and turning, his every strike landing with purpose. The men surrounding him tried to overpower him, but Miguel was relentless, fury behind each punch.The night air crackled with energy, and Ximena felt a weird mix of terror and awe. She'd never seen this side of him before, yet it didn't faze her.It was the man she'd married once; the man who would go to any length to protect what he loved.In one leap, one of the thugs pounced on him with a crowbar. However, Miguel was quicker, dodging and managing to sweep a leg to drop him to the ground. In o
Chapter 163: The Return of TaniaShe stared at the photo in her hand, her heart racing wildly. How had they gotten this photo? Who watched her? She felt her stomach clench as the creeping feeling of vulnerability clawed at her.Miguel had been supportive, but even his presence could not erase the gnawing anxiety that had settled deep inside her. She could still feel the weight of his comforting words from earlier, but they did little to quell the storm brewing in her mind.Tania had kept silent for too long, and now it was as if the calm had been no more than the quiet before the storm.Miguel had insisted on staying the night, refusing to let Ximena face this alone. Now, as they sat together in her living room, Miguel was talking about taking extra precautions for her safety, adding security to her apartment, increasing surveillance around the office, but Ximena wasn't fully listening.She had heard the same promises before, and while she appreciated them, she couldn’t help but fe
Chapter 162: Shadows ReturnThe next morning, Ximena was back to work, sitting at her desk, her hands fastened on the lid of the portable computer, her fingers drumming the wooden top of the laptop. He had seen her typing away again, probably trying to complete the quarterly reports so that the board meeting in the morning would not consume all the time. Her head was not in the numbers; she was constantly thinking about the peculiarities that had been bothering her all week.The first time she’d noticed it, she thought that perhaps she was imagining it. He had seen a black sedan parked across the street from her building for two consecutive days and the face of the driver was hidden behind the tinted glass. It could have been nothing, but then there were the phone calls; two in the last two days; both of which rang only twice before the line went dead as soon as she picked up.She tried to dismiss it as a mere fluke and went on to telling herself that there was really no need for
Chapter 161: A New NormalXimena sat down comfortably in her chair and looked at the numbers that target the company’s financial performance in the following quarter. The numbers, as he could see, were fine, were good, in fact, were more than good. The Group was on its way up again in Antonio’s life. Things were finally getting a little less insane, and Ximena was able to concentrate.This lack of drama seemed to them in some way wrong, even unnatural. Living on a daily edge, ready to face the next storm, she found the lack of tumult... dangerous. But was this not what she had wanted?Her phone was ringing on the desk and she had to remove herself from her line of thinking. A message from Clara lit up the screen: “Meeting at 11:30. Coffee on the way.”Ximena, still smiling, thanked her. “Thanks, lifesaver.”Clara was not wrong, after a year, the world seemed to have returned to its normal state.Miguel came to see her later in the morning that same day with a box of pastries and a
Chapter 160: Shadows Closing InMiguel paced back and forth, his frustration evident in the sharp clicks of his shoes against the polished floor. “She’s up to something. She always is. But I can’t risk dismissing this if it’s tied to Vega.”Ximena crossed her arms over her chest, easing back into her chair. "You're giving her too much credit. This is Tania we're talking about; a master manipulator. She wants you to believe she's our ally just so she can stay close."Miguel stopped pacing and faced her. "What if this time she's telling the truth?"What if she isn't?" Ximena shot back. "Every time we let her in, she leaves chaos in her wake."______________________________________Late that afternoon, Gregorio joined them in Ximena's office. His arrival brought much-needed clarity, though his face was as tense as theirs."I did some digging after Tania's sudden appearance," Gregorio began, placing a file on the desk. "And it seems she's not bluffing entirely."Ximena's eyes slitted a
Chapter 159: A Desperate MoveTania hesitated for a moment before turning on her heel and walking away, her laughter echoing in the empty street.Miguel turned to Ximena, his jaw tight. “Are you okay?”Ximena nodded, though her hands were still trembling. “Let’s just go.”…………………………………..Ximena was staring out the window of Miguel's car. Her reflection fluttered with the streetlights as they speed-crossed the city.Miguel has his hands clutched tight over the wheel. His knuckles were white. He glanced over to her and his jaw clenched. "You haven't said a word since we left. What is going on inside that head of yours?""What's the word of the day?" Ximena replied in a quiet tone. "That I don't want to play this any longer? That I'm tired of being a target?"Miguel let out a soft breath, his eyes remaining on the road. "You are not alone in this, you know that, right?"Ximena looked at him. "Do I? Because lately, it's feeling like I'm fighting for myself."Miguel was thinking of a come
Chapter 158: Countdown to ChaosSleep was out of the question. Ximena’s instincts told her this was more than another scare tactic.By the time the sun rose, she was already seated at her dining table with her laptop open and a steaming cup of coffee beside her. The clock ticked ominously as if counting down to an unseen disaster.Her phone buzzed, pulling her out of her thoughts. Miguel’s name lit up the screen.“Morning,” she said, trying to mask her exhaustion.“Did you sleep at all?” Miguel’s voice was tinged with concern.“Not really,” she admitted, rubbing her temples. “The message... I can’t stop thinking about it.”“Neither can I,” Miguel said. “But we have a plan, Ximena. We’re ahead of them.”“Are we?” Ximena asked, doubt creeping into her voice. “Or are we just reacting to whatever they throw at us?”Miguel caught himself and responded in a lower tone. "Meet me at Antonio's Group. Gregorio probably has more news for us."______________________________________The middle o
Chapter 157: Tightening the GripXimena sat at her desk, staring blankly at her calendar. She'd spent all morning moving meetings around, trying to make sense of a schedule that had begun to feel utterly meaningless under the mounting threats.A knock at the door pulled her from her thoughts. Clara peeked in, the shine gone now from her face since the events of the past couple of days."Miss Antonio, Gregorio is here," Clara said quietly.Ximena nodded, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Send him in.”Gregorio entered, his ever-practical briefcase in hand. “Morning, Miss Antonio. Miguel should be joining us shortly. We’ve got some developments you’ll want to hear about.”Ximena gestured for him to sit. “Developments?”Before he could answer, Miguel strode into the room, his expression grim but focused.“Let’s hear it,” Miguel said, taking a seat beside Ximena.Gregorio opened his briefcase, pulled out a few files, and laid them across the desk. "We have located Vega's