Chapter 1 - The Plus One
The most anticipated event of the year was about to begin.
The Aurora Foundation Gala was the ultimate battleground where businessmen, politicians, and celebrities competed in elegance and raw power.
Every year, the ruthless media covered exactly who arrived with whom, what luxury brands they wore, and what billion-dollar deals were sealed between crystal champagne glasses.
Among all the elite guests, the most anticipated name was that of Alejandro Montiel.
He was a young billionaire and the brilliant owner of a technology conglomerate that had completely revolutionized the global market.
Handsome, intensely enigmatic, and always notoriously alone, he was the favorite protagonist of endless rumors and tabloid headlines.
But tonight, Alejandro had decided he would not arrive alone.
He had asked Elena, a quiet and seemingly simple girl who worked at his favorite local coffee shop, to be his companion for the evening.
He thought it would be a night without any real importance, a simple strategy to keep the high-society matchmakers away from him.
Elena had arrived at his penthouse wearing a modest but beautiful dress, offering him a shy smile that made his heart skip an unexpected beat.
They stepped out of the armored limousine and onto the blindingly bright red carpet.
Alejandro offered her his arm, expecting the usual polite nods from the elite crowd.
Instead, the moment the cameras turned on, a deafening wave of frantic murmurs swept through the attendees.
The flashes fired so rapidly that the night sky looked like it was caught in a lightning storm.
Alejandro frowned, wondering if there was a wardrobe malfunction or an issue with his own tailored tuxedo.
He realized the photographers were not shouting his name to get a picture.
The most powerful politicians and ruthless tycoons in the crowd were physically stepping aside, parting like the Red Sea to let them pass.
The gala's grand host, a man who usually only acknowledged royalty, rushed down the velvet stairs and bowed deeply.
He did not look at the famous tech billionaire.
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His terrified eyes were fixed entirely on the shy girl holding Alejandro's arm.
"Welcome back to your rightful throne, Miss Sterling," the host trembled.
