From abandoned girlfriend to tycoon’s lover (Copy)

✨ Chapter 12 — Runways and Ghosts

Three weeks later, I stood backstage at the São Paulo Fashion Summit.

The lights. The cameras. The chaos.

Models rushed past, makeup artists screamed over curling irons, stylists frantically pinned last-minute stitches, and interns carried garment bags like they were sacred scrolls.

In the middle of it all, I stood calm. Perfectly dressed in a tailored black pantsuit with gold accents. Minimal makeup. Maximum impact.

My name was everywhere.

CHEZ MARÍA was on the banners. On the official program. On the lips of every influencer and editor present.

For the first time, I was the main act.

Not Antonio. Not Isabel.

Just me.

Leonardo stood nearby, reviewing some final press credentials. He wore midnight blue with a crisp open collar, and still somehow looked like he’d stepped out of a cologne commercial.

“This is a turning point,” he said without looking up.

“I know.”

“The reviews after tonight will define your next five years.”

“I’m ready.”

He glanced at me. “You’ve been quiet all morning.”

I turned to face the curtain hiding the runway.

“I’m thinking about how far I’ve come. And how many knives I pulled out of my back to get here.”

Leonardo gave a quiet nod.

“Keep them. You might need to throw one or two later.”

When the lights dimmed and the music started, my heart did a single, heavy thud in my chest.

Then silence.

Then the beat dropped.

And the first model stepped onto the runway.

Gasps echoed across the room.

Each piece of the collection — my Resurrection Line — walked out like a statement of survival. Satin flames. Crimson stitching. Black velvet shaped like armor. Silk that flowed like smoke.

Every outfit told a story.

Of betrayal.

Of pain.

Of rebirth.

And when the final model walked out in the closing piece — a shimmering gown of gold and ember, with a phoenix embroidered across the train — the audience rose to their feet.

Applause.

Flashes.

A roar.

Leonardo looked at me with something rare in his expression: pride.

“You just burned the old world down,” he said. “Now let’s build a new one.”

Later that night, the after-party lit up the rooftop of the Grand Marquês Hotel.

Champagne flowed.

Cameras flashed.

Buyers, editors, celebrities — everyone wanted a minute with me.

And I gave them exactly sixty seconds each.

I had become a symbol now. A myth. The woman who turned heartbreak into an empire.

And they couldn’t get enough.

Until I heard his voice.

“María.”

I turned.

Antonio.

He stood near the bar, a drink in hand, dressed in black. His face was leaner. Older. Sadder.

I blinked, but my posture didn’t shift.

He approached, cautiously.

“I saw the show,” he said quietly. “It was… incredible.”

“Thank you.”

“You’ve changed.”

I tilted my head. “No. I just stopped pretending I was less than I am.”

He gave a sad smile. “I miss you.”

I took a sip of champagne. “You miss what you had. Not who I was.”

He looked down. “Maybe. But I’ve been thinking a lot lately. About us.”

“There is no us, Antonio.”

“She’s gone, María. Isabel’s gone.”

“And so are you,” I said coldly. “The moment you chose her over me, you became someone I don’t know anymore.”

“I made a mistake.”

“No. You made a decision. One that benefited you at the time. You just didn’t think I’d rise after you left.”

He looked like he wanted to say more.

But I had already turned away.

Leonardo appeared at my side, holding two flutes of champagne.

“Friend of yours?” he asked.

“Old furniture,” I replied.

Leonardo handed me a glass.

“To upgrades.”

I clinked his glass without hesitation.

That night, as I stood by the balcony, wind catching the hem of my dress, I thought about how fast things had changed.

I was no longer the girl sewing her own wedding dress by candlelight.

I was a brand.

A story.

A threat.

But I wasn’t done yet.

Leonardo joined me, watching the skyline with quiet satisfaction.

“You were born for this,” he said.

“No,” I replied. “I was forged for it.”

“Then what’s next, María?”

I turned to him, eyes cold, heart steady.

“Take over Altamira. Then São Paulo. Then the world.”

He smiled.

“And what about revenge?”

I looked at the city lights and whispered:

“I’m not seeking revenge anymore.”

He raised an eyebrow.

“I’m building something so big, so untouchable… they’ll regret ever thinking I was breakable.”