Chapter 3 - The Gathering Storm
The announcement of the engagement between Matthew Carranza—the city’s most elusive and feared billionaire—and Elena Vargas sent shockwaves through high society. By noon, every major news outlet was broadcasting the story.
Inside the penthouse, Elena sat dressed in a tailored emerald green dress that masked her bruises, watching the media frenzy on the television. Her ankle was neatly bandaged, thanks to Matthew’s private physician, but the internal wounds were far from healed.
The peace didn't last long. The penthouse’s secure intercom buzzed, and Leo's voice came through. "Sir, Isabel Vargas is downstairs with a team of lawyers and two police officers. They are demanding to see Miss Elena, claiming she is being held against her will."
Elena stood up, her heart hammering against her ribs. "She's here."
Matthew didn't even blink. He adjusted his cufflinks and walked toward the private elevator. "Stay here," he ordered Elena.
"No," Elena said, her voice shaking but resolute. She forced herself to stand tall, ignoring the stinging pain in her feet. "I want to face her. If I hide behind you forever, she still wins. I need her to see that I am no longer her prisoner."
Matthew stared at her for a long moment, evaluating the fire in her eyes. For the first time, a look of genuine approval crossed his features. "Very well. But do not speak unless I allow it. Let them see what happens when they try to steal from the Carranza family."
When the elevator doors opened into the grand lobby downstairs, the tension was palpable. Isabel Vargas stood there, looking regal in a fur coat, flanked by lawyers and officers. But the moment she saw Elena walking beside Matthew, her aristocratic facade cracked, replaced by venomous rage.
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"Elena!" Isabel cried out, feigning motherly concern for the benefit of the police officers. "Thank God you're safe! Officers, that man kidnapped my stepdaughter from our estate last night. She is mentally unwell and needs to come home immediately!"
"Mind your tongue, Mrs. Vargas," Matthew’s voice rang out like a gunshot in the quiet lobby. The police officers immediately took a step back, recognizing the man who practically owned the city's infrastructure. "Miss Vargas entered my vehicle seeking asylum from an attempted human trafficking incident taking place under your roof. Furthermore, she is my fiancée. Any attempt to touch her will be treated as an act of war against my house."
