Chapter 3 - The True Queen Returns
The next morning, the sun rose over the corporate headquarters of Escalante Holdings—a seventy-story skyscraper of black glass and steel that dominated the city skyline.
I stood in the penthouse office, dressed in a custom-tailored emerald silk suit. The swelling on my cheek had been treated with advanced medical care, leaving only a faint pink mark that I chose not to cover with makeup. It was my reminder. My badge of liberation.
My father, Alejandro Escalante, sat in his high-backed leather chair. He looked older, his hair silver, but his eyes carried the weight of an empire. "You stayed with them for four years, Mariana. I told you from the first day that a wolf cannot be tamed by kindness."
"I needed to know, Dad," I said softly, looking at the city below. "I wanted to see if Andrew loved me for who I was, or if he just loved the shadow of convenience I provided. Now I have my answer. He didn't just break our vows; he tried to crush my dignity."
Alejandro stood up, walking over to place a heavy, protective hand on my shoulder. "The Vance family is currently sitting on the steps of the courthouse. They couldn't even afford a hotel room because every credit card linked to their name was issued under our corporate account. They are waiting for the shadow chairperson of Vance Global to appear at the emergency board meeting at 9:00 AM."
I looked at the clock. 8:45 AM.
"Let’s go, Dad," I smiled, my eyes freezing into blocks of ice. "It’s time to show them who really held the key to their kingdom."
Downstairs in the grand boardroom of Vance Global, the atmosphere was thick with desperation. Andrew, Margaret, and Brenda were sitting in the corner, looking utterly disheveled. Andrew hadn't slept; his eyes were bloodshot, his expensive suit wrinkled and stained with sweat. Margaret was clutching her empty jewelry box like a lifeline, while Brenda was frantically trying to call her influencer friends, only to find she had been blocked by everyone.
"Don't worry, Andrew," Margaret whispered, though her own voice was trembling. "When the mysterious chairperson arrives, we will explain the situation. We will tell them that Mariana stole from us, and that’s why the system glitched. The chairperson will understand. Real billionaires protect their own kind."
"Yes," Brenda agreed eagerly. "Once the chairperson sees my business plan for the boutique, they’ll realize I’m much more valuable than that peasant girl."
The double doors of the boardroom swung open.
The board members immediately stood up, bowing deeply. Andrew and Margaret scrambled to their feet, plastering fake, sycophantic smiles on their faces as they looked toward the entrance.
My father walked in first, his presence commanding absolute silence. Andrew gasped. "Mr. Alejandro Escalante? You... you are the mysterious primary investor?"
"I am an investor," Alejandro said coldly, stepping aside. "But I am not the chairperson. The person who owns seventy percent of your life... is her."
I stepped into the room.
The silence that followed was deafening. Margaret’s jaw dropped so low she almost dropped her box. Brenda staggered backward, her face turning an ash-gray color. Andrew stared at me, his breath hitching in his throat as his brain scrambled to comprehend the reality before him.
"Mariana?" Andrew whispered, his voice trembling. "No... No, this is a joke. You're a charity case. Your family—"
May you like
"My family owns the bank that holds your soul, Andrew," I said, walking to the head of the long mahogany table and taking the center chair. I threw my worn brown handbag onto the table.
"Now," I leaned forward, interlocking my fingers. "Let’s talk about the Escalante emerald necklace you accused me of stealing."
