After Aria left the office, Aisha sat quietly for a moment, her eyes still fixed on the door. The faint echo of Aria’s footsteps faded down the hallway, and a subtle smile curved on Aisha’s lips.While Aria might have her own ideas running through her mind, Aisha too had a plan — one that wasn’t entirely hers alone.She reached for her phone, scrolled through her contact list, and stopped at a familiar name. Then, without hesitation, she dialed the number.The call connected after a few seconds.“Greetings, Sir!” she said briskly. “I have some good news!”“Does it have to do with Aria and the company?” Tyler’s deep voice came through the receiver, calm but curious.Aisha smiled knowingly and nodded, even though he couldn’t see her.“Yes, Sir. It definitely has to do with the contract, Aria, and the company. Mr. Hudson, I’m pleased to announce that Miss Acosta finally made it possible! She signed the contract—and she even said she’s looking forward to working with us!”On the other end

Seeing Aria standing right before them, Olga froze in shock.Her heart skipped violently, panic flooding her chest as dozens of questions rushed through her mind.Did she hear everything we said?Did she overhear the whole conversation?And if she did—what’s going to happen now?Her mind raced with fear while Aria began stepping forward, her expression calm but unreadable. Every step she took made Olga’s suspicion grow heavier.“Auntie…” Aria called softly, her voice low but cutting through the tension. “You seem surprised to see me here. Is something the matter?”Olga tried to gather herself enough to respond, but before she could even open her mouth, Chloe’s jealousy flared. She stepped forward abruptly, her voice sharp and full of venom.“Of course, you can see it yourself,” Chloe snapped. “My mom and I were having a peaceful conversation—something you’ve never allowed for years since you seized her attention and refused to let her go until something terrible happens!”Aria frowned

Henry knew better than to take Olga’s threats lightly. He had been close to her for years and understood that every word from her mouth carried weight. Olga wasn’t one to bluff—he had witnessed it himself. There were times when she had people completely silenced without even hearing their side of the story. Ruthless, precise, and frighteningly powerful—that was Olga Acosta.So when she gave him a warning, Henry didn’t dare to argue. He straightened up, nodded in agreement, and replied respectfully.“Yes, Mrs. Acosta. I get you too well, and I understand promptly what you’re trying to say. I won’t defy your rules, and I won’t mess with your daughter. You can take my words!”“Of course, I’m taking your words,” Olga said sharply. “And I hope you take mine as well. It’d sound really bad in the ear when they hear that—”“Don’t talk about it, Mrs. Acosta! Please don’t!” Henry cut her off immediately, his tone panicked.Hearing him interrupt her made Olga’s lips curl into a triumphant smile.

“As of now, my only strategy—the one thing I’m holding firmly onto—is the fact that I am the representative CEO of ABC,” Aria began, her voice steady but her eyes sharp. “Being the representative CEO means I have certain rights similar to the actual CEO’s. Not entirely equal, of course, but at least I’ll have access to things I couldn’t before.”Melanie folded her arms, listening intently as Aria continued.“My grandfather managed that company all by himself,” Aria said. “He did everything possible to make sure it survived through every challenge. Now imagine, after all that effort, another person steps in to take over—and we don’t even know who this person is. What if he’s a bad person? What if he dies suddenly? I don’t get it, Gurl, but let me set the facts straight—I cannot sit back and watch my grandfather’s company get buried like that. This is something he sweated for!”Melanie nodded slowly. She understood exactly what Aria meant.She had seen it all growing up—the effort, the

Aria took a careful look at Melanie. That question — the one she never expected — struck a nerve.And at that moment, it wasn’t something she was ready to share. At least not yet.Melanie, still puzzled by her silence, leaned forward.“Why aren’t you responding? Are you not going to tell me your husband’s name? Let’s know what he looks like, his status, his background… just to see if he’s even up to the standard of the Acosta family!”Aria shook her head slowly. She had already predicted this. If it wasn’t Melanie asking, it would’ve been someone else. The moment anyone heard about her marriage, the first thing they would want to know was who her husband was — and of course, how wealthy he might be.It was always the same question.But right now, Aria wasn’t ready to give that answer.Taking a steady breath, she finally said, “Let’s leave my husband’s name and his status for now, Melanie. What matters most at this moment is how he’ll be introduced. That should be our priority, not any