They destroyed me. Now, they'll beg me.
For six years, Elena Moreira sacrificed everything for Rafael Almeida, the man she loved. She abandoned her dreams, her identity, and even her very essence to support him unconditionally. But the day before their wedding, he betrayed her in the cruelest way: he announced that he would marry Sofia, his manipulative half-sister, to "fulfill her last wish" before his supposed imminent death.
As if Rafael's betrayal weren't enough, her own family threw her out of the house, taking everything that was rightfully hers. Everyone thought Elena was finished, with no way out, powerless.
But they didn't know the truth.
Elena had always hidden who she really was: heiress to one of the most powerful families in the country, she had given up everything for love. Now, with nothing left to lose, she accepts the help of a mysterious and seductive businessman, Enzo Navarro, who offers her a tempting deal: a marriage of convenience in exchange for her revenge. What Elena didn't expect was to discover, weeks after the breakup, that she was carrying a secret: she was pregnant with Rafael's child.
When she returns a year later, transformed into a powerful, confident, and unattainable woman, with a baby in her arms and Enzo by her side, the world that scorned her begins to grovel at her feet. Rafael, consumed by regret, begs for a second chance. Sofia, desperate, reveals that she was never sick—it was all a lie to steal Elena's man. And her family, upon discovering who she really is, tries to bring her back.
But Elena is no longer the naive woman they once knew. Now, surrounded by admirers from her past—including her childhood friend, Lorenzo, and the enigmatic Enzo, who may not be as indifferent as he seems—she must choose: forgive those who destroyed her or build a future where she alone controls her own story.
Because from the ashes of what was, rises the woman she always should have been.

And she was the happiest child in the universe.


She smiled at everything. She babbled constantly. She slept reasonably well (a miracle, according to other mothers). And she had Enzo completely enchanted.


"She smiled at me!" Enzo announced for the fifth time that week. "Elena, did you see? She smiled!"


"I saw." I smiled, breastfeeding Bella. "You're a lucky man."


"I am." He kissed my head. "I have two perfect women in my life."


Waking up at 6 am with Bella. Breastfeeding. Changing diapers. Playing. 9 am nap. More breastfeeding. More playtime. 1 pm nap. And so on.


Enzo worked from home most days. He refused to miss moments with Bella.


It wasn't perfect. It wasn't without challenges. But happy.


________________________________________


I was putting Bella down for a nap when the phone rang.


Chapter 25 - Chapter 25: The Family Begs