Chapter 5 The grand façade

The mansion loomed ahead as Mariana stepped out of the car, her heels clicking sharply against the stone walkway. The grand façade, once a symbol of security and comfort, now felt like a cage. Every step she took inside the house reminded her of the years she had spent with Felix-years that had built a life together, one she was now ready to tear apart, brick by brick.

The hallway was silent, save for the faint hum of the chandelier overhead. Felix was likely still in his office, no doubt wrapped up in the false sense of security that everything was fine. But Mariana knew better. She knew what he had done, and she knew how to make him pay.

She moved with purpose, her mind sharp and focused. She had made her decisions, and nothing would stand in her way now. Every document, every conversation, every subtle shift in the power dynamic was part of a larger plan she had been carefully orchestrating for weeks. The pieces were all in place.

The door to Felix's office was ajar, and as she approached, she heard his voice, low and commanding. The sound of his laughter grated on her nerves-he always had such a way of pretending he was in control, as if no one could see through his carefully crafted façade. She pushed the door open slowly, stepping into the room without a word.

Felix's eyes flicked up from the papers he was reviewing, a smile curling on his lips when he saw her. "Mariana," he said, his tone casual. "You're home early. I thought you'd be working late again."

Mariana didn't respond immediately. Instead, she closed the door behind her and walked further into the room, her gaze locked onto him. There was no fear in her eyes-only cold, unyielding determination. "I need to talk to you, Felix," she said, her voice level, almost too calm for the storm brewing inside her.

Felix leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms as he studied her. "About what?" he asked, a faint smirk playing on his lips. "Something tells me this isn't just a social visit."

She inhaled deeply, gathering her thoughts. This was it. The moment she had been preparing for. "I know what you've been doing," she said, her voice unwavering. "I know about your affair with Vanessa, and I know about the deals you've been making behind my back."

For a moment, there was a stunned silence in the room. Felix's face remained impassive, but his eyes narrowed, his fingers tightening around the armrest of his chair. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said, his voice suddenly cold. "You've been jumping to conclusions, Mariana. I told you before, you need to trust me."

"Trust you?" Mariana scoffed, her anger rising. "How can I trust you when you've been lying to me for years? When you've been betraying me with someone who doesn't even care about you?" Her words cut through the air, each one a sharp reminder of the pain he had caused.

Felix stood up suddenly, the chair scraping against the floor as he advanced toward her. "You don't know anything about what I've been doing," he spat, his voice rising. "I don't owe you explanations. You've always been so obsessed with control, with keeping up appearances, that you never once considered what I might need."

Mariana stood her ground, refusing to back down. "What you needed?" she echoed, her voice growing colder. "What you needed was loyalty, Felix. What you needed was honesty. And you've thrown all of that away. You've taken everything I gave you and destroyed it."

Felix stepped closer, his towering figure now looming over her. He reached out to touch her arm, but she flinched away. "I didn't want it to go this way," he said, his voice low. "I never wanted to hurt you. But you never gave me what I needed. You were always too wrapped up in your business, in your own world."

"Don't blame me for your mistakes," she snapped. "You chose to betray me. You chose to lie. You made your own decisions, Felix. And now you will pay the price."

The words hung in the air, heavy with the weight of finality. Felix's expression faltered, a flash of uncertainty crossing his face. But it was gone as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by a mask of defiance.

"You think you can just walk away from this, don't you?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper. "You think you can ruin everything I've built and walk away untouched. You're wrong, Mariana. I will fight for this. I will fight for what's mine."

Mariana's lips curled into a cold smile. "You've already lost, Felix," she said softly. "You just don't know it yet."

Turning away, she walked toward the door, her steps echoing in the silence. She had said everything that needed to be said. Felix's empire was crumbling, and he didn't even know how badly it had already been compromised. Every move he made from now on would be watched, every step carefully orchestrated. The game was no longer in his hands.

As she reached the door, she paused for a moment, her fingers brushing the handle. "Don't worry," she said over her shoulder, her voice filled with quiet menace. "You'll soon learn that losing everything isn't just about money, or power. It's about losing the one person who was always there for you. I will make sure you understand the cost of your betrayal."

With that, she stepped out of the office and closed the door behind her.

Felix stood there, frozen in place, his mind racing. The facade of control he had built so carefully over the years was slipping, and he had no idea how to stop it. Mariana had made her move, and now, there was no turning back.

As Mariana descended the stairs, her heart pounded with a mixture of triumph and sorrow. She had done what was necessary. She had confronted him, exposed his lies, and started the process of dismantling everything he held dear. But part of her still mourned the man she had once loved-the man she had trusted. That man was gone now, replaced by a stranger.

When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she stopped. Her mind shifted briefly back to Victor. She had made the right choice, but she knew that more challenges were ahead. She would need every ounce of her strength, every bit of her resolve, to see this through to the end.

As she moved toward the door to the outside world, she took one last look at the mansion-her prison for far too long. Now, it would be the symbol of everything she had left behind. And she would not stop until she had exacted her revenge, no matter the cost.

This was just the beginning.