Chapter 7

The darkness of my bedroom felt like a suffocating blanket, mirroring the despair that enveloped me. Moreno Corp., my father's legacy, was teetering on the brink. Edwardo's relentless campaign had crippled us. Investors were pulling out, contracts were being terminated, and the public smear campaign continued to rage. Every newspaper, every news channel, echoed the narrative Edwardo had so carefully constructed: Ben, the criminal, and Blair, the disgraced wife.

A summons arrived from Grafton McDonald, Edwardo's grandfather. The patriarch of the Steele family. My former grandfather-in-law. My heart pounded with a mix of dread and faint hope. He was an old-school tycoon, believed in debts of honor. Maybe, just maybe, he would intervene.

I entered his study, a cavernous room filled with antique furniture and the scent of old money and power. Grafton sat behind a massive mahogany desk, his face grim, his eyes tired. He looked at me with a gaze that held a flicker of something akin to pity.

"Blair," he began, his voice surprisingly gentle. "I am truly sorry for what you've endured."

His words, so unexpected, brought a fresh sting to my eyes. "Thank you, sir. But I stopped expecting pity a long time ago."

He sighed, running a hand over his silver hair. "Edwardo has gone too far this time. He's blinded by that Shields woman. He always was a difficult boy, but this... this is beyond the pale."

"It's too late for apologies, Mr. McDonald," I said, my voice flat. "The marriage is over. Irreparably. There's no coming back from this."

He nodded slowly. "I see that. And I regret the role I played in arranging it. I believed it was for the best, for both families." His eyes held a genuine sorrow. "But I also know Ben is innocent. Edwardo's narrative is... flawed. The boy wouldn't intentionally harm anyone, let alone steal company secrets without just cause."

A surge of relief washed over me. Someone believed me. Someone saw the truth. "He simply tried to expose Cassie Shields for the fraud she is, sir. He was protecting Edwardo's company, ironically. And he paid a heavy price for it."

"Indeed." Grafton tapped his fingers on the desk. "Which brings me to why I called you here. My family's reputation is also at stake. And yours. I will not have my grandson's foolishness tarnish the Steele name further." He looked at me, his gaze sharp. "What do you want, Blair? What will it take for you to drop the accusations against Edwardo, and to cease all legal action regarding Moreno Corp.?"

I felt a cold surge of calculation. "I want Moreno Corp. to survive. I want its assets unfrozen. I want lines of credit restored. And I want the smear campaign against my brother and my family to end."

He leaned back, his eyes scrutinizing me. "And in return?"

"I will drop all charges against Cassie Shields for her attempted murder of Ben. I will sign a non-disclosure agreement regarding Edwardo's affairs and his... eccentricities. And I will leave the city, leave the country if necessary, and never bother the Steele family again." I looked directly into his eyes, my voice firm. "I will disappear."

He was silent for a long moment, weighing my words. I knew his calculus. His grandson' s reputation, his family' s image, against the survival of a smaller, beleaguered company. A painful sacrifice on my part, but a necessary one. He didn't care about justice, only about reputation and control.

Finally, he nodded. "Very well. I will ensure Moreno Corp. is stabilized. And the public narrative will shift. But understand this, Blair. This is a one-time offer. Once you leave, there will be no turning back."

"I understand, sir." I felt a hollow victory. A future, but at a terrible price.

As I left Grafton's study, I almost collided with Edwardo. He stood in the hallway, leaning against the wall, a predatory smirk on his face. He must have been listening.

"So, the dutiful wife comes begging to grandfather," he sneered. "How pathetic."

My jaw tightened. "I came to save what you tried to destroy, Edwardo. My family. My brother."

"And what did you promise him in return? Your eternal silence? Your pathetic devotion?" He laughed, a short, humorless sound. "I've already destroyed your family, Blair. Your brother is a cripple, a pariah. Your company is a joke. And you? You're a discarded toy."

"You're wrong, Edwardo," I said, my voice dangerously calm. "You didn't destroy us. You just showed me what a monster you truly are. And my brother, crippled or not, has more integrity in his little finger than you ever will."

His eyes blazed with fury. "Don't tempt me, Blair. I can still crush what little you have left. I can still ensure your brother rots in a federal prison. I can still make sure Moreno Corp. collapses completely."

"You can try," I retorted, my gaze unwavering. "But I have faith in people, Edwardo. Something you will never understand. And I have faith in the truth."

He scoffed. "Truth? What truth? Cassie tried to kill Ben? He told me everything, Edwardo! She confessed to working with Perez. She stole your data. She tried to frame Ben for it!"

He looked at me, a flicker of something in his eyes, but it was quickly masked by anger. "Cassie would never do such a thing. She's innocent. You're just trying to deflect."

I gave him a cold, bitter smile. "You're so blind, Edwardo. So utterly, hopelessly blind. You choose to believe the lies because it's easier than facing the truth. But one day, the truth will come for you. And when it does, I'll be watching."

"You'll be long gone, Blair," he sneered. "Disappeared. Forgotten."

"Perhaps," I said, turning to leave. "But the memory of your cruelty will haunt you, Edwardo. Always."

I walked away, leaving him standing there, his face a thundercloud. My heart was a stone in my chest. I had to focus. Ben. Moreno Corp. My future.

Over the next few weeks, I worked tirelessly with Grafton's legal team. Moreno Corp.'s assets were unfrozen. Lines of credit were re-established. The public narrative slowly began to shift, painting Ben as a victim of circumstance, not a criminal. Edwardo, surprisingly, stayed out of it. He was probably too busy with Cassie.

Ben, though still recovering, was relentless. He had been working on something, a hidden backup. "Blair," he whispered one evening, his voice weak but excited, "I found it. A recording. Cassie's confession. The entire conversation with Perez, detailing the data theft, the framing, everything."

My heart leaped. "You did it, Ben! You found the proof!"

We immediately worked to get the recording out. Not directly, but strategically. A leak to a trusted, independent journalist. The recording was leaked online, anonymously. It went viral. The internet exploded.

The recording was devastating. Cassie's voice, clear as a bell, detailing her malicious plan. Her casual contempt for Edwardo. Her gleeful admission of framing Ben. Her chilling laughter as she described pushing Ben from the balcony, making it look like an accident.

The world reeled. The public was outraged. Edwardo's reputation, already shaky, plummeted. Cassie Shields became a pariah overnight, her social media empire collapsing.

But almost as quickly as it appeared, the recording was scrubbed from the internet. Edwardo, with his vast resources and power, had silenced it. Another victory, fleeting and snatched away.

The police, however, had heard it. And they had their own evidence. A full investigation was launched into Cassie Shields. The results were swift and undeniable. Ben Pena was officially exonerated. Cassie Shields was charged with multiple counts, including attempted murder and corporate espionage. Justice, it seemed, could not be entirely bought.

I went to Edwardo's office, clutching a copy of the police report. He was pacing, his face haggard. Cassie, defiant and tear-streaked, was with him, clinging to his arm.

"Edwardo Steele," I said, my voice cold and steady. "It's over. Ben is free. Cassie is charged. And I'm here to ensure she faces the consequences."

He turned, his eyes blazing at me, then at Cassie. "You can't do this, Blair! You can't accuse Cassie of murder! It was an accident! Ben attacked her!"

"The police disagree," I said, holding up the report. "And so does the recording. She confessed, Edwardo. She pushed him. She tried to kill him."

Cassie screamed, "No! Edwardo, don't listen to her! She's lying! She's always hated me!"

Edwardo looked from Cassie to me, his face torn. He was finally seeing the truth, but he was still clinging to his delusion.

"You're going to let her put Cassie in prison?" he demanded, his voice trembling with a mixture of anger and fear. "After everything? After she confessed? After she saved my life?"

"She didn't save your life, Edwardo," I said, my voice flat. "She used you. She manipulated you. She almost destroyed everything you had. And she almost killed my brother." I looked at Cassie, my eyes filled with cold contempt. "She deserves to pay for what she did."

"No!" Edwardo roared, stepping in front of Cassie, shielding her. "You won't touch her, Blair! I won't let you!" He took a step towards me, his eyes burning. "I'll do everything in my power to stop you. I'll destroy Moreno Corp. again. I'll make sure you regret this."

I met his furious gaze, my own eyes cold and unwavering. "Try me, Edwardo. Because this time, I have nothing left to lose. And everything to gain."