Elena felt it deep in her heart. The moment she had waited for, the moment she had dreamed of for years, was finally becoming real. Franco was coming to see her face to face.She stood beside her mother as the crowd around them continued chanting loudly.“El Riffiano! El Riffiano!”The sound rolled through the air like thunder. Elena straightened her back, adjusted her posture, and forced herself to stand tall. She prepared herself, both in body and in mind, to welcome Franco. Then she turned to her mother, her eyes bright with excitement, and pointed straight at the helicopter in the sky.“That’s Franco!” she exclaimed, her voice barely able to contain her joy. “Oh my God, he’s finally here. I can’t wait for him to come over to this side and enjoy the beautiful meal I prepared for him!”Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke. Her eyes followed Franco as he stepped down from the helicopter, her breath catching in her throat.Damn.Is this really the same man?The thought hit her har

Elena swallowed nervously, her throat dry. Rita’s hands clenched tightly at her sides, silently praying for a positive outcome. If the guard could eat the food without issue, maybe, just maybe, Franco would start to trust her family again.All their eyes were locked on the guard as he hesitated for a moment, then lifted the food to his mouth. As soon as it touched his tongue, the young man’s expression twisted in disgust.He spat it out with a loud, forceful motion, his face contorting with anger. “This is absolute bullshit!” he yelled, his voice sharp. “Who the hell prepared this garbage?”The words hit Elena like a punch to the stomach. Her heart seemed to leap out of her chest. Even Maya’s mouth fell open in disbelief, while Rita’s face flushed with sudden, uncontrollable rage.But it was Franco who stood there, a small, amused smile spreading across his face as he observed the reactions of the group."Imagine that!" he said, clearly enjoying himself. His tone was dripping with moc

After hearing everything Elena said, Franco smirked.He already knew where the conversation was heading. Even a fool could tell that Elena was trying to draw sympathy from the crowd.The moment he noticed the cameras and phones pointed in their direction, it became even clearer. Everything happening was being broadcast live online. To Elena, this was the perfect stage — a chance to gain his attention while making herself look like the victim.And because the world was watching, people would naturally lean toward her side. If he turned and walked away without listening, the public would immediately paint him as the heartless one.Franco understood that much.That was why he stayed where he was.Protecting his reputation was reason enough to remain standing there, facing Elena, a faint smile resting on his lips as he prepared for whatever she would say next.“Alright then,” Franco said, his smirk deepening slightly. “You have my attention, Miss Froston. So, what is the second gift you w

Alyana slowly squatted beside her son and held his shoulders gently.“Listen to me, my dear,” she said softly, brushing his hair back. “Your papa loves you, I know that. He only left us to go and start another family. But the new papa you keep asking to meet… he is not your papa. He can’t be your—”Before she could finish her sentence, Oscar suddenly pulled away from her and ran straight to Franco.He wrapped his small arms tightly around Franco’s waist.“Papa!” Oscar cried, clinging to him. “Please be my papa! I want you to be my papa!”A wave of shock swept through the hall.Everyone stood frozen, their eyes fixed on the scene. They were completely baffled.What was going to happen next? What would Franco do? And where had all this drama come from?Franco himself stood speechless, staring down at the boy holding onto him.At that moment, Muna’s grandmother stepped forward. Her face was far from friendly.The displeasure in her expression was obvious. She was clearly unhappy with eve

Of course, Franco didn’t know how to respond to Muna’s question.No matter how he felt about it, he had no choice but to do as she instructed.“OKAY! Tomorrow then!” he finally said, his voice firm, though his mind was still swirling with uncertainty.The car drove straight to the Scott mansion. As Franco sat silently, thinking about how to handle the upcoming meeting with Oscar and his mother, Alyana, Elena’s conscience gnawed at her relentlessly.Humiliation had struck her in its purest form that day, leaving a bitter taste she couldn’t ignore. Yet, there were more pressing matters she had to consider, matters her mother insisted she shouldn’t dwell on.Even so, Elena’s thoughts kept returning to that other part—the part her mother wanted her to ignore, the part that refused to stay buried.What really consumed them was the fact that they had been humiliated today.The moment they arrived home, Rita threw her bag onto the couch and ran her hands through her hair in frustration.“The