The day started like a lull after a storm. The air in the penthouse was calm, and Alicia, for the first time in weeks, felt almost at peace. She leaned against the kitchen island, sipping tea as sunlight spilled through the tall windows.
But the calm didn't last.
Dominic's phone buzzed sharply against the marble counter.
He picked it up and read the message, his jaw tightening.
"What is it?" Alicia asked.
He didn't answer immediately. He simply handed her the phone.
Liam: Emergency. You need to see this. Someone from Alicia's family just made a statement to the media. Leaked private medical records. Claimed Alicia is lying about the pregnancy and using you for money.
Her cup slipped from her hand, crashing into the sink.
"What?" Her voice trembled. "That's not possible."
Dominic was already moving toward the TV. He turned it on and flipped to the news channel.
A well-groomed reporter was mid-sentence: "—according to an anonymous source within the Weston family, Alicia Weston, the estranged daughter of the late Nathaniel Weston, is currently fabricating a pregnancy with billionaire Dominic Sterling in an attempt to extort money and gain power within his business empire."
A photo of Alicia flashed on screen.
Followed by a grainy scan of her private medical file. Her file.
She stumbled backward, heart pounding. "How did they even get that? It was a private clinic—"
Dominic muted the TV, his voice low and sharp. "Only someone with access to your legal name, date of birth, and insurance number could've pulled that. Someone close."
Her mind raced. "My mother. She still had my ID copies from when I moved out. And she works with lawyers. If she really wanted to hurt me…"
The truth crashed over her like a wave.
"She did this."
Alicia stormed into her old neighborhood an hour later, despite Dominic's protests. She needed answers. She needed the truth.
Her mother opened the door with a cold smile, as if she had been expecting her.
"I suppose you saw the news," she said casually.
Alicia stared at her in disbelief. "You told them I lied? You gave them my medical file?"
Her mother's lips tightened. "You left this family the moment you chose to carry that man's child. Did you really think there wouldn't be consequences?"
"I left because you lied about Nathaniel. Because you kept secrets from me my entire life!"
"He was a criminal," her mother snapped. "A disgrace. And now you're sleeping with another one, Alicia."
Her heart cracked. "Dominic is not a criminal. He's the only person who's ever protected me!"
Her mother's voice turned icy. "You've always been naïve. The world doesn't run on love—it runs on leverage. And you lost your value the moment you got pregnant."
Tears burned Alicia's eyes.
"You leaked my pregnancy to shame me."
"I warned you. You didn't listen. Now, you'll learn the hard way."
She turned to leave, but Alicia grabbed her arm.
"Was it you who let Noah into my building?"
Her mother didn't answer.
The silence was all the confirmation she needed.
"You set me up. You wanted them to scare me."
"I wanted you to come home. But you always need drama to learn."
Alicia's voice dropped. "You betrayed me. You endangered your grandchild."
Her mother scoffed. "That child is a scandal, Alicia. A permanent reminder of all your mistakes."
Alicia's entire body went cold.
She turned and walked away, fighting the tears.
She wouldn't give her the satisfaction of breaking down.
Not here. Not now.
Back at the penthouse, Dominic was on a call with his legal team.
"They've leaked medical records," he said. "We're suing. I don't care who's behind it—it's war now."
He looked up when Alicia returned, her face pale and her hands trembling.
"She did it," she whispered. "My own mother. She gave the press everything. She let Noah into the building. She wanted me scared."
Dominic crossed the room and pulled her into his arms.
"I'm sorry," he murmured. "I'm so sorry."
But Alicia wasn't crying.
She was shaking—with anger.
"I won't be a victim, Dominic. Not anymore. She wanted me silent. She wanted me scared. But she's going to learn exactly how strong I've become."
Dominic watched her, pride and concern warring in his eyes.
"What do you want to do?"
Her eyes lit with fire.
"I want to take back control."
The next day, Alicia called a press conference.
The Sterling PR team advised against it—too risky, too emotional.
But she insisted.
She stood in front of the cameras, wearing a navy-blue dress that hugged her belly ever so slightly. She stood tall, no tears in sight.
"My name is Alicia Weston," she began. "I'm not ashamed to say that I am pregnant. And yes, the father is Dominic Sterling. But this isn't about money, or status, or power. This is about truth."
Flashes went off. Reporters murmured.
She took a breath.
"I grew up in a family that taught me to bury secrets. To protect the image, no matter the cost. That ended when I found out the truth about my father, Nathaniel Weston. I left, thinking I was walking away from lies."
Another breath.
"But I didn't know the depth of betrayal that would follow. My private medical records were leaked by someone I once called family. Someone who claimed to love me. And all because I refused to let them control me anymore."
The reporters went still.
Dominic watched from the side, speechless.
"I won't name names," Alicia continued. "Because this isn't about revenge. This is about choosing love over legacy. Truth over silence. And my child—this life growing inside me—deserves a future untainted by fear."
She stepped back.
The applause was hesitant at first.
Then it grew.
Dominic walked to her side and took her hand, proud and quiet.
And the world… finally saw her as more than just a scandal.
They saw her as a fighter.
But that night, a new email arrived.
This time, it was a video.
No subject line. No name.
Just a clip of her walking into the press conference.
And a voice, disguised and slow: "The deeper you dig, the closer you get to the truth. But some truths were buried for a reason."
Dominic clenched his fists.
"They're watching."
Alicia didn't look away from the screen.
"Let them."