I never told my parents that I had invested $500 million to save their failing company. My sister took credit, claiming she had closed the deal. At the victory party, my five-year-old son accidentally spilled water on his dress. She hit him so hard he lost consciousness. My mother snorted, “You clumsy speculator! Take the boy and go!” I gave them one last chance to apologize. Instead, they shouted, “Your sister saved us! You’re nothing but a burden!” Then they turned their attention to me. “Hello, our CEO…” What I had done had completely shattered their world.

Elias, who had just returned from the infirmary, appeared immediately. He didn’t say a word; he simply placed a firm hand on Vanessa’s shoulder and pulled her out of the way. She gasped and stumbled backward, bumping into a bouquet of flowers.

I climbed the stairs. I felt the heat of the spotlight on my skin. I reached the stage and looked down at a sea of ​​faces.

I looked at Marcus Rossi. He looked as if he’d seen a ghost. My mother clutched her throat, her face deathly pale.

I leaned into the microphone.

My voice didn’t tremble. It sounded clear and resonant, filling every corner of the Grand Astoria. “I’m Isabella Rossi. But in the financial world, I’m known as the founder and CEO of Aurora Holdings.”

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