---- I remember walking into the training center every day, seeing groups of students turn their backs to me. "Don't talk to Maya," they'd whisper. "Serena says she's bad luck." "Her family is cursed. Stay away from her." Only Bella disdained to join their ranks. "Bunch of sheep," she'd mutter, sitting next to me when no one else would. "If they can't think for themselves, that's their problem." She'd share her lunch with me when mine got " accidentally" knocked over. She'd partner with me for training exercises when everyone else refused. If it weren't for her, I probably wouldn't have persevered back then. "You're stronger than all of them combined," she'd tell me during my darkest moments. "Don't let them win." ---- Now she was radiant in her white dress, glowing with happiness. "Maya! You made it!" she squealed, pulling me into a tight hug. "I was so worried you wouldn't come." "T wouldn't miss this for the world," I said, genuinely smiling for the first time in months. During these two days back in the pack, I heard from. various people about what happened to Serena, her mother, and my father. The whispers followed me everywhere I went. "Did you hear about the scandal?" "The Alpha Council is investigating everything." "Maya's father was involved in trafficking. Can you believe it?" When my father held a mating ceremony with my mother, it was all smooth talk. He was really only interested in my mother's status as a senior researcher. ---- I learned this from my mother's old colleague, Dr. Sarah. "Your father pursued her relentlessly," she told me over coffee. "But I always suspected his motives." "your mother was brilliant. Her research was worth millions to the pharmaceutical companies." Back then, my mother worked sixteen-hour days on her groundbreaking research while he used her high salary to gamble and drink at expensive clubs. "Maya," Dr. Sarah continued, "your mother knew about his affairs, but she never said anything." My mother knew about it later, but for mine and Max's sake, she kept pretending to be oblivious. She would work herself to exhaustion, then come home to cook dinner and help us with homework. She never let us see how much she was suffering. But after her research on cellular regeneration showed promising results, my father appeared with Serena's mother and Serena. In "Cinderella's Glass Slipper: The One I’ve Always Loved" by CrushReel, a heartfelt romance unfolds between a woman and the president she has long admired since youth. Overcoming insecurities about her appearance, she finds herself working closely with him as his assistant, leading to unexpected twists and turns in their relationship. This modern romance novel explores themes of self-acceptance, unrequited love, and the dynamics of power and attraction in an office setting. The unique blend of billionaire CEO dynamics, hidden feelings, and the revelation of secrets adds layers of intrigue to the story, keeping readers captivated as the plot unfolds. What sets this novel apart is its delicate balance between sweet romance and the complexities of relationships in a contemporary workplace. With each chapter, readers are drawn deeper into the emotional journey of the characters as they navigate their growing connection amidst professional responsibilities and personal desires. For those seeking a compelling tale that combines elements of romance, secrecy, and personal transformation, "Cinderella's Glass Slipper: The One I’ve Always Loved" is available to read at CrushReel, offering a captivating escape into a world where love conquers all.