The morning broke not with light, but with headlines. Elena had barely slept, her eyes gritty, her body heavy with the weight of another restless night. She shuffled into the kitchen, robe clutched tightly around her, when she saw Daniel standing rigidly by the counter, a newspaper spread before him. His jaw was set, his knuckles white against the porcelain mug he held.
“Elena,” he said, his voice low, controlled, almost too calm. “You need to see this.”
She approached slowly, dread curling in her stomach. The bold black letters screamed at her before she even reached the page:
“A Queen Unraveled: Elena de la Cruz’s Legacy in Jeopardy.”
Beneath it was Regina Velasco’s smiling face, poised and triumphant, her eyes glittering with false sympathy. The article carried Regina’s words like daggers wrapped in silk.
“I have always admired Elena’s brilliance,” Regina was quoted. “But brilliance without stability can be dangerous. The fashion world deserves leaders who inspire confidence, not scandal. Perhaps it is time for new voices to guide the industry into the future.”
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Elena’s fingers curled against the paper. She forced herself to keep reading, each line worse than the last. Rumors of her “erratic behavior,” whispers of abandoned investors, even hints at impropriety between her and Daniel—everything twisted and spun into a story of a woman losing control.
And Regina hadn’t stopped at mere words. The society pages were filled with glossy photos of Regina hosting charity galas, shaking hands with influential patrons, her narrative of composure and elegance stark against Elena’s supposed descent into chaos.
“She’s painting you as unstable,” Daniel said, anger finally leaking into his tone. “And she’s doing it publicly, with the entire industry watching.”
Elena sank into a chair, her breath shallow. This wasn’t just gossip anymore. This was a calculated execution, a dismantling of everything she had built. Regina wasn’t simply circling—she was striking.
For a long moment, Elena said nothing. The paper lay open before her, Regina’s smile taunting her from the newsprint. Her mind raced with every whispered doubt she’d overheard in recent weeks, every wary glance from staff, every half-hearted reassurance from old allies.
“I told you,” Elena whispered finally, her voice trembling. “This isn’t just about me. She’s going to destroy everything. Everyone who believed in me.”
Daniel crouched beside her, taking her hand firmly in his. “No. She wants you broken. Don’t give her the satisfaction. We’ll fight back, Elena. Harder than before.”
Elena looked at him, his faith shining even as hers faltered. She wanted to believe. She needed to believe. But as she glanced back at the paper, at Regina’s face grinning from the glossy page, she felt a cold certainty settle in her chest.
This was only the beginning.
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