---- Chapter 6 Alexandra Smith POV: The heavy oak door closed with a definitive click, sealing me out of my own life. | was left kneeling on the cold, unforgiving stone, the evening chill seeping into my bones. But the physical cold was nothing compared to the arctic wasteland that had become my heart. Heartbreak was no longer a strong enough word. This was an annihilation of the soul. Slowly, painfully, | pushed myself to my feet. Every joint ached, every breath was a razor blade in my side, but the physical pain was a distant echo to the emotional torment. | wasn't going back in there. | was done. As | limped down the long, manicured driveway, | pulled out my phone and called my lawyer again. "Change the terms," | said, my voice eerily calm. "| don't want half. | want it all. | want him left with nothing. Not a penny. And | want his controlling shares in Cardenas Corp transferred tome." "Alexandra, that's..." my lawyer started, his voice hesitant. "That's the price of my silence about the attempted murder of ---- his wife and the successful murder of his unborn child," | finished coldly. "Make it happen." | hung up. The rain started to fall, a gentle drizzle at first, then a downpour, plastering my thin clothes to my skin. | didn't care. Let it wash me away. Let it cleanse me of the filth of the past three years. | had given up everything for him. I'd walked away from my own company's day-to-day operations, handing the reins to a trusted board so | could be the supportive "Cardenas wife." I'd alienated my mentor. I'd put my life on hold for a lie. A sleek black car pulled up beside me, its headlights cutting through the gloom. The window rolled down, and a familiar face peered out. It was Gabriel's personal assistant, Maria. "Ms. Smith," she said, her voice filled with alarm. "Get in. You'll catch your death." She hustled me into the warm, dry interior of the car, wrapping a blanket from the back seat around my shivering shoulders. "Mr. Oliver was worried when you didn't answer your phone. He sent me to check on you." As she spoke, my phone, which I'd dropped into my purse, began to ring. Edward's name flashed on the screen. Maria glanced at it, then back at me, her expression questioning. | let it ring. A wave of dizziness and a sharp, twisting pain in my abdomen made me gasp. | doubled over, cold sweat beading on my forehead. ---- The phone stopped ringing, then immediately started again. This time, | answered, putting it on speaker. "Where the hell are you, Alexandra?" Edward's voice was a furious bark. "Did you think you could just walk away? Get back here right now." A dry, bitter laugh escaped my lips. "The time when you could order me around is over, Edward." "Don't push me," he snarled. "I'm warning you." A violent cough seized me, and | couldn't speak. Maria quickly handed me a bottle of water. "Who's with you?" Edward demanded, his voice sharp with suspicion. "Is it him? Is it Oliver?" "That's none of your business," | rasped, taking a sip of water. | motioned for Maria to keep driving. "You're cheating on me, aren't you?" he accused, his voice rising. "I'll ruin you, Alexandra. I'll tell the world what a slut you are. I'll destroy your reputation and your precious company." | just laughed, a hollow, empty sound, and hung up. The car ride to Gabriel's estate was a blur. When we arrived, the grand, familiar house felt like the only sanctuary left in the world. Gabriel was waiting at the door, his face etched with worry. ---- He didn't say a word, just opened his arms. | collapsed into his embrace, the solid warmth of his fatherly hug undoing the last of my composure. | sobbed, finally allowing myself to grieve not just for my baby, but for the woman | used to be. "I'm so sorry, Gabriel," | wept. "I'm so sorry | didn't listen." "Shh, child," he murmured, stroking my hair. "It's not your fault. You're home now. You're safe." Later, sitting by a crackling fire, a warm mug of tea in my hands, he told me what his investigators had found. "Edward's obsession with your family wasn't entirely baseless," Gabriel said, his expression grim. "His biological mother didn't die of an illness, as the official story goes. She was murdered." He paused, letting the words sink in. "And the evidence, though circumstantial, pointed to your father." | stared at him, stunned. My father had died in a car accident when | was a teenager. He was a good man. A loving man. He wasn't a murderer. "But that's not the whole story," Gabriel continued, his voice low. "My people believe the evidence was planted. That your father was framed. We just don't know by whom." A cold dread crept up my spine. The pieces were starting to click into place, forming a picture more monstrous than | could have ever imagined. The lies were a tangled web, stretching back decades. ---- My mother's car accident, which had happened just a year after my father's... I'd always been told it was a drunk driver. But now, a terrible suspicion began to bloom in my mind. "Gabriel," | said, my voice barely a whisper. "l need you to investigate something else. My mother's death. | don't think it was an accident." Title: A Princess? No! I'm the Female General! In "A Princess? No! I'm the Female General!" by CrushReel, Adela Taylor, a noble family's daughter, disguises herself as her brother to secure their Duke title by joining the army. Despite facing obstacles, she achieves remarkable success. However, upon her triumphant return, her brother betrays her, setting off a chain of events that will test her resolve and reveal hidden truths. This captivating novel delves into themes of secrets, reincarnation, revenge, murder, and drama. Adela's journey from deception to betrayal is filled with intrigue and suspense as she navigates through a world where power dynamics and family loyalties collide. What sets this story apart is its strong female lead who defies expectations and challenges societal norms in a quest for justice and redemption. Experience the riveting tale of Adela Taylor online at CrushReel and witness the transformation of a princess into a formidable female general.