Chapter 192 — The First StepWhen Ayden left the hospital room fully dressed, with a small gym bag hanging from his shoulder and his discharge papers in his hand, he had the strange feeling that he was leaving behind much more than a room. He had spent the longest night of his life there. He had signed a contract that made him uncomfortable, controlled him, and exposed him… and now he had to start honoring it.As soon as he stepped through the door, he saw his mother, Sofía, and Mía sitting in the hallway chairs. They both stood up at the same time when they saw him. His mother’s eyes were tired, but filled with that silent love that had always held him up; and Mía, with her school backpack over her shoulder, looked at him with a mix of concern and annoyance.Ayden said nothing.He walked over and hugged them both at once, with a strength he didn’t usually show, as if he needed that contact to fully come out of the place where he had been trapped for years.“I’m sorry,” he said, his v

Chapter 194 — Zoe and the Perfect Lie The afternoon was dissolving inside the office full of contracts when, through the glass walls, the hurricane known as Zoe Medina stormed into the office without asking permission, as if it were her house and not the executive floor of Castell Group. “MILAGROS!” she exclaimed, throwing her arms up. “We are absolutely going out tonight! A new bar opened at the harbor, they’ve got two-for-one drinks, live music, and gorgeous men. We’re going to do what we didn’t do when we were young and stupid! COME ON, MILI! LET’S ENJOY OUR YOUTH!” The echo of her shout reached the corner where Ayden was organizing papers, although in reality, he had been organizing the same folder for five minutes, pretending to concentrate so he could sneak glances at Milagros. The second he heard “bar,” “drinks,” and “men,” his head snapped up as if a harpoon had lodged itself in his chest. Milagros tilted her head with professional calm. “We’ll see later, Zoe,” she replie

Chapter 196 — The Perfect Month That Irritates HerThirty days.Exactly thirty days.Milagros stared at the digital calendar on her tablet as if every marked square were a personal provocation.Ayden Castell had spent thirty days doing everything right.Thirty days without making a single mistake.Thirty days without going to clubs.Without drinks.Without scandals.Without compromising photos.Without women entering or leaving his building.Without Instagram stories from some rooftop with indecent music playing in the background.Thirty days in which even the press—the same press that had torn him apart for years—was talking about him as if he were a business miracle.“A New Era at Castell Group.”“The Heir Shows Discipline and Leadership.”“Ayden Castell Shows Remarkable Changes.”She clenched her jaw every time she saw a headline.Because yes, of course, it was good for the company.Excellent, even.But for her…For her, it was torture.Because Milagros Saavedra had spent ten years

Chapter 198 — Suspicions and JealousyThe day started wrong before eight.Actually, it had already gone wrong the night before, when Milagros received the message from Ayden’s secretary saying they needed to speak urgently.She hadn’t even finished her coffee when her phone vibrated on the table again, sliding a few inches from the force with which she grabbed it.It was Marta, the new secretary she had accepted almost reluctantly under pressure from Adrián. An older woman, serious, old-school, the kind who didn’t get involved in games or questionable favors. Ayden’s former secretary had been sent to Adrián Castell’s office; with him, no one wanted trouble.The message was clear, concise, and not at all reassuring:Doctor, sorry for the hour.We have another mess at Castell Group.You need to come NOW. It’s serious.Milagros closed her eyes for a second, took a deep breath, and muttered through her teeth:“Great. Another fire.”She tied her hair into a quick bun, adjusted her blazer,

Chapter 200 — The News That Set the Castells on FireThe notifications exploded on every Castell family phone at the same time.First came the video on social media.Then the headlines.Then the chaos.Ayden Castell knocking on a woman’s apartment door.Scandal in Pocitos: hidden pregnancy at Castell Group.Is the future president involved in a romantic drama?And then, the inevitable:Adrián and Sofía—Ayden’s parents—saw EVERYTHING on television.“What the hell am I looking at?” Adrián growled, rising from the couch as if he had been electrocuted.Sofía dropped her cup of tea, and it split in two on the floor.“Tell me this is staged,” she said, her voice trembling with fury. “Tell me my son isn’t making a scene outside Milagros’s door while the whole city watches.”Adrián grabbed his keys without blinking.“We’re going to the company. NOW.”Sofía followed him, outraged, hurt, her heart overflowing with fear and anger.“I thought he was trying to win Milagros back,” she spat. “He tol