Diego remained seated, his posture relaxed as Isabella and Alejandro loomed over him. The surrounding guests had begun to notice the confrontation, conversations dying down as curious eyes turned toward the main table.Alejandro's lips curled into a sneer. "So the parasite finally shows his true colors. Tell me, Diego, did you sleep with that lobby manager to get this seat? Is that how low you've fallen?""Lobby manager?" Isabella's laugh was sharp and cruel. "Of course! That's the only way trash like him could get anywhere near the main table. He's probably been spreading his legs for her since before our divorce!"Diego picked up his water glass, taking a slow sip before setting it down. "You're making assumptions again, Isabella.""Assumptions?" Alejandro stepped closer, his voice loud enough for nearby guests to hear. "Everyone saw what happened outside. Your whore had Isabella's mother thrown out like garbage! All because you wanted to spite Isabella for choosing a real man over

Esperanza's powerful aura crushed the ballroom into suffocating silence. The crystal chandeliers seemed to dim under the weight of her fury, and not a single guest dared to breathe too loudly. Even Isabella and Alejandro stood frozen, their earlier confidence evaporating like morning mist under a scorching sun.Alejandro's hand trembled as he touched his burning cheek, his mind racing to comprehend what had just happened. The woman he'd been so confident would celebrate him had just struck him with the force of a hurricane."Miss Vega, I—I think there's been a misunderstanding," Alejandro stammered, his voice cracking. He forced a weak smile, trying to salvage the situation. "Perhaps you didn't hear me clearly. We're the ones who brought you the thousand-year ginseng root. The rare herb that saved your life. Surely you remember—""Shut your mouth," Esperanza cut him off, her voice colder than arctic ice. "Before I have it shut for you permanently."Isabella's face had gone deathly p

Isabella's face contorted with desperate rage, her mascara streaming down her cheeks in black rivulets. She stumbled forward, pointing a trembling finger at Diego."He's lying!" she screamed, her voice cracking with hysteria. "He's making all of this up to slander us in front of Miss Vega! He's bitter and vindictive and he'll say anything to destroy me!"Diego's expression remained utterly unchanged, his hands clasped loosely behind his back. He simply watched her unravel with the detached interest of someone observing a mildly entertaining spectacle."Call an expert!" Isabella's voice rose higher, bordering on shrieking. "Call a traditional medicine expert right now! Have them examine the ginseng and prove this bastard is lying through his teeth!"Several guests shifted uncomfortably, their expressions a mix of secondhand embarrassment and morbid fascination.Diego's shoulders lifted in the faintest suggestion of a shrug. "Go ahead."The simple, indifferent response only seemed to fu

Esperanza climbed the stairs to her bedroom, her heart still racing from the conversation downstairs. The moment she closed the door behind her, her phone buzzed with an incoming message.Father: Did you successfully invite him to stay?She smiled, typing back quickly. He's here. He agreed to stay temporarily.The response came almost immediately. Excellent! This is your chance, Esperanza. Get closer to him. Find out what he needs. If you need any help creating opportunities, just tell me.Esperanza stared at her phone in mild disbelief. Her father had never been this enthusiastic about setting her up with anyone before. In fact, he'd actively discouraged most of her previous relationships, claiming the men weren't worthy of her.She typed back: Father, why are you so eager about this? What makes him so special?You'll understand in time. Just trust me on this—Diego Herrera is not an ordinary man. Get to know him. You won't regret it.But his medical skills aside, what else is there?

The ride back to Isabella's house was suffocating with tension. Alejandro gripped the steering wheel, his knuckles white, while Isabella stared blankly out the window, her mascara-streaked face reflecting in the glass.When they finally pulled into the driveway, Carmen was already at the door, her face bright with expectation."Well?" she called out eagerly. "Did that lobby manager come crawling to apologize? Did Ricardo Vega himself grovel at your feet for the precious gift you gave his daughter?"Isabella stumbled out of the car, her legs barely supporting her weight. Her mother's face fell instantly at the sight of her daughter's destroyed appearance."Isabella? What happened? Why do you look like—""She wasn't a lobby manager," Isabella whispered, her voice hollow. "The woman... she was Esperanza Vega. Ricardo Vega's daughter."Carmen's mouth fell open. "What?""His daughter!" Isabella's voice cracked into a hysterical laugh. "The woman I accused of sleeping her way to the top, th