Chapter 3 - The Queen's Verdict
Hook: The moment the "freeloader" reveals she owns the roof over your head.Doña Leticia’s wine glass slipped from her hand, shattering on the polished marble floor.
Sofía gasped so loud that several guests turned to look. "M-Mariana?!" she stammered, pointing a manicured finger. "What are you doing here? Did you get a job as a waitress? How dare you steal a dress like that!"
"Silence, Sofía!" Alejandro hissed, though his own face had drained of all color. He stepped forward, trying to salvage his pride in front of his CEO. "Mariana... what is the meaning of this prank? Did you sneak in here to embarrass me?"
Mariana didn't flinch. She took a sip of champagne from a crystal flute offered by a passing waiter.
"Sneak in?" Mariana raised an eyebrow, a mocking smile playing on her lips. "Alejandro, you are standing in my living room."
"Your living room?!" Doña Leticia laughed hysterically, trying to cover her panic. "Don't make me laugh! This is the Silva Estate! You are a penniless office worker whose family probably doesn't even own a car!"
Mauricio, Alejandro’s CEO, stepped forward, his face pale with horror. "Leticia, shut your mouth! Do you have any idea who you are talking to?"
"Of course I do! She's my son's ungrateful, runaway wife!" Leticia yelled.
"She is Mariana Silva!" Mauricio roared, his voice echoing across the silent ballroom. "She is the sole heiress of the Silva Steel Conglomerate and the majority shareholder of Grupo Alianza—the very company your son works for!"
The entire ballroom fell into a suffocating silence.
Alejandro felt his knees go weak. He looked from his boss to Mariana, his mind spinning out of control. "No... no, that's impossible. Mariana, your last name was registered as Ramos..."
"My mother's maiden name," Mariana replied coldly, stepping down from the final stair to stand directly in front of him. "I wanted to marry for love, Alejandro. I wanted to see if someone could love me for who I am, not for my family's wealth. So I lived humbly. I took a regular job. And what did I find?"
She turned her gaze to Doña Leticia, whose hands were now shaking violently.
"I found a family of bankrupt parasites," Mariana said, her voice carrying clearly to every billionaire and socialite in the room. "A family that, within seven days of marriage, tried to extort my modest salary, steal my jewelry, and throw me on the street because they couldn't pay off their own secret, fraudulent debts."
"Mariana, please..." Alejandro begged, grabbing her hand. "It was a misunderstanding! I love you! I was just stressed about the business—"
"Don't touch me," Mariana whispered, pulling her hand away as if she had touched trash. "And don't worry about your business. Because as of five minutes ago, I finalized the acquisition of the remaining shares of Grupo Alianza."
She looked at Mauricio. "Mr. CEO, what is the company policy regarding employees who use corporate funds to secure personal high-interest loans under their family members' names?"
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Mauricio bowed his head. "Immediate termination, blacklisting from the financial sector, and legal prosecution for corporate fraud, Ms. Silva."
"Excellent," Mariana smiled. "Alejandro Mendoza, you are fired. And don't bother looking for another job in this country. No reputable firm will ever touch your resume again."
