Chapter 91Searching for the TruthXimena nervously walked back and forth in her living room. Her head was still reeling from the thought of being followed earlier that day. She had not yet shared with Miguel all the details with him; she didn’t want to add to his worries. But now, after their call, she could not free herself from the thought that something much larger was coming. There was something Tania hadn’t said, something more dangerous than either of them had anticipated.She looked down at her phone that buzzed on the coffee table and began to adjust her thoughts. It was a message from Miguel.“I’m on my way. Stay put.”She breathed out, and then typed a short message for reply. When there was so much to do, patiently waiting for Miguel seemed like waiting for forever. Her mind whirled back to the time when she was meeting Gregor and the others board members. She so wished Gregor would have followed through on his word and have spoken to Martinez and Reeves. Tania and his c
Chapter 92 Let’s Go PublicCarlos read the plan once more before nodding. Miguel and Ximena waited for what felt like an eternity. In her apartment the atmosphere was tense, oppressive as if it was charged with all that was going to occur. Vega and Tania had taken their shot, and it was time for the rest of the team to play. The revelation of the conspiracy to the public would alter everything but it was not clear whether this was enough.Miguel was sitting on the couch with his phone in hand waiting for word from Carlos. Ximena, who was across him, walked the room nervously and with lot of energy. Sometimes, they stared at each other, and meanings not shared between the two were spoken in silence.“We are really doing this” Ximena echoed in a low tone to break the silence.Miguel straitened, and his eyes rose to meet her, noting the quiver in her tone. He did not doubt her strength but this was a big gamble. If something went wrong they could lose everything. “We can’t do otherwis
Chapter 93 The notifications on Ximena’s phone kept coming in non-stop. The minute Carlos had thrown the exposé to the press, the media turned into a furious volcano. Vega Investment was mentioned in every leading newspaper and television channel regarding the conspiracy at Antonio’s Group. Headlines of corruption, betrayal and secrets pointing fingers at them. But it wasn’t just the company that was under the spotlight now; it was her.Ximena stood paralyzed in front of the screen with her heart racing and sweating. She had expected this to happen anytime soon. Once the truth was out, Vega wasn’t going to take it lying down about his so-called involvement with an actress half his age. And Richard? He was not going to be overlooked by everyone in the scheme that he was part of. She had thought there would be a retaliation, but this… this was savage.“Miguel,” she said out loud, looking up from her phone, “they’re coming for me.”Miguel was standing by the window with his phone in h
Chapter 94 A Kiss with the DevilMiguel stood with his back against the wall just outside the boardroom door and his nerves were getting the better of him. He had been waiting for what seemed to be ages and the more Ximena waited inside the room the more impatient he began to feel. He knew what she was up against; Richard wasn’t holding back; he wasn’t just throwing empty punches. It had helped, though the exposure of Vega was not enough and Richard did not stop with the smear campaign, going after Ximena and her family next.Miguel had read the headlines, the articles that portrayed her as an unfit candidate to lead Antonio’s Group. He was also angry with how easily people were ready to accept the falsehoods. But Ximena? She didn’t flinch. This woman strode into that boardroom with a look on her face indicating she meant to win this battle. And Miguel loved her for that more than anything he had ever done before.No sooner had his thoughts returned to the last conversation they h
Chapter 95Exposing the Devil Ximena walked out of the building with her heart racing and her thoughts packing a hundred and one things she had seen. She was more shocked than she expected when she saw Miguel and Tania hugging each other tightly. She attempted to maintain a slow and regular rate of walking, but the heat of her rage turned the soles of her shoes into drums against the marble halls.Miguel’s voice echoed from behind her. “Ximena, wait! Please!”She didn’t stop. She couldn’t. If she did, the anger and pain she bottled inside would've exploded and created havoc. She drew the glass door at the entrance and fresh cool air brushed her face but her mind was still going round and round.“Ximena!” Miguel shouted again, and his voice echoed around her as he followed her with increased speed. But she didn’t turn around. She wouldn’t allow him to see her cry, and the tears that welled up in her eyes.---The next morning, Ximena sat in her office, tapping idly on the edge of t
Chapter 96The voting will be held tomorrow, but that night, it felt like the whole world lay on Miguel's shoulders. He sat in his apartment staring out into the city lights, his mind was very far away from the view.Ximena had somehow managed to present her case to the board, yet the decision was still too close to call.Richard didn't lay low while the media into Ximena's family had been nonstop. He leaned back into the couch; his head replayed the scene which had played itself out earlier in the boardroom that day. Ximena had been firm, composed, and presented the facts with great restraint.But that smile of Richard's - the subtle confidence, it all gnawed at Miguel. The man did have something up his sleeve, something that nobody could see.His phone buzzed on the coffee table, and Miguel looked down to find a message from Ximena."Can we talk?"A beat longer, he was silent. That still smarted, the memory of her storming out of the office, incensed after catching him with Tania.
Chapter 97 After the Storm The cabin was peaceful, nestled in a forest, free from the vibrations of the town, and the constant roar of Antonio’s Group. Quietness welcomed her like the much needed comfort after the storm of the previous few months.The board vote was two days ago, two days ago when she fought Richard and Vega, the media hurricane that almost engulfed her. The vote had been in her favor; Antonio’s Group was secure for now, but victory was not what she had expected it to be. She had done it for her family, and has lost so much in the process!Richard had betrayed her and it still felt fresh like an open sore but it was deeper than that. It was the tiredness, the struggle, the burden that was thrown upon her. She had won the war but now she wondered where to turn; she was all wet and did not know where to go. So she had taken time for herself – a break, a withdrawal in order to gain some perspective.It had been in her family for generations, it was her father’s san
Chapter 98 Charles Returns The glass doors of Antonio’s Group opened and Ximena had the exact second to draw a breath before being assaulted by the sounds of glasses clinking and happy voices. Her vacation to take a break had been over. It was time to return to work.She stopped, opening her eyes wide in shock as all the employees who had been dispersed throughout the lobby, lifted their glasses of wine and cheered. Their glasses hit the table in unison, and then cheers erupted all at once, congratulating her.“Well done, Ximena!” some shouted as they looked at her with joy and admiration on their faces. The pressure of the past weeks appeared to be shed off momentarily by the support that they were receiving.The vote on the board had been in her favor. They were safe, at least for now and the feeling of getting out of a fix that was starting to dawn on Antonio.Ximena smiled, she felt happy and even thanked them for their help. “Thank you, everyone,” she said, her voice confiden
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