Mariana bent down to pick up the bills.
Not because I needed them, but because I didn’t want them to dirty the spotless marble.
He placed them carefully on the edge of the trash can and said in a calm voice:

 

“You should keep them.” That money… You’re going to need it.

Alejandro froze for a second.
There was no rancor in his tone.
Nor does he plead.
That calm… it made him more uncomfortable than any reproach.

“Do you continue with that attitude of false dignity?” Alejandro growled, turning to Camilla. See? Poor, but full of pride.

Camila let out a mocking laugh and clung tighter to Alejandro’s arm, running over Mariana from head to toe with contempt.

At that instant, a group of men in black suits entered the lobby.
In front came a man with gray hair, a firm presence and a respectable gaze, followed by executives and the press team.

The mall manager bowed deeply:

“Mrs. Mariana, everything is ready. The presentation will begin in three minutes.

The entire lobby… he was completely silent.

Alejandro turned pale.

“Madam… Mariana? His voice was choked, as if someone was squeezing his throat.

Mariana nodded slightly.
He left the rag on the cleaning cart.
He calmly took off his gloves.
An attendant immediately approached and placed an elegant white blazer on her shoulders.

In a matter of seconds, the “cleaning employee” disappeared.

In front of Alejandro now was another woman:
Loose hair, straight posture, deep and cold gaze.

The gray-haired man stepped forward and announced in a clear voice to everyone:

—It is an honor to introduce you to Mrs. Mariana Ortega, founder of the brand “Fénix de Fuego” and main investor of this exclusive collection that is launched tonight.

Alexander took a step back, completely decomposed.

The red dress with rubies behind Mariana—the same one he had despised—bore the stamp of her name.

Mariana turned to him.
And he smiled.

But she was no longer the fragile smile of the woman of seven years ago.

“Seven years ago you said I wasn’t up to your standards.
“A few minutes ago you said I could never touch this dress.

He raised his hand.
The staff opened the showcase.
Mariana touched the red fabric elegantly.
The lights made the lobby appear to be burning.

“What a pity,” he whispered.
Because who no longer has the right to touch any of this… it’s you.

At that moment, Alejandro’s phone began to vibrate non-stop.

Message from his secretary:

“Sir, the strategic partner has just withdrawn all the investment.
They have signed an exclusive contract with… Mrs. Mariana Ortega.”

Before he could react, Camila abruptly let go of his arm.

“Weren’t you going to be vice president?” Was it all a lie?

She turned and left, her heels rattling like hammer blows over Alejandro’s shattered pride.

Mariana passed by him.

He didn’t look at it.

He left only one sentence floating in the air, soft as the wind:

“Thank you…” for having let me go that day.

Alejandro remained motionless in the middle of the lobby, surrounded by luxury, flashes and murmurs, trapped in a reality he never imagined facing.

Alejandro did not move for long seconds.
The crowd kept talking, the flashes kept exploding, the elegant music played again… But for him, everything had been silent.

 

For the first time in years, he felt something stronger than pride.
Repentance.

That same night, as Mariana walked to the stage to officially kick off the performance, her assistant leaned into her ear:

“Madam… there is someone who insists on watching it. He says he won’t leave without talking to you.

Mariana hesitated for a second.
He knew exactly who he was.

“Five minutes,” he replied calmly.

Alejandro was waiting for her in a private room.
Without Camila.
Without arrogance.
No mask.

When Mariana entered, he got up immediately.

“I’m not here to ask you for anything,” he said, his voice breaking. Only… I needed to tell you that I was wrong about you. That I was blind. That I was unfair. That I was a coward.

Mariana looked at him in silence.

There was no hatred in his eyes.
Nor love.
Only peace.

“I know,” she replied softly. And precisely for that reason… It doesn’t hurt anymore.

Alejandro looked down, defeated.

“I never deserved you.”

Mariana took a step towards him.

“No. You didn’t deserve me before.
“But today—” at least you have had the courage to acknowledge it.

He looked up, surprised.

“Does that mean—”

Mariana denied slowly, but with a serene smile.

“It means that I forgive you.”
Not for you… but for me. Because I don’t want to carry anything from the past anymore.

Alexander closed his eyes, and for the first time since the divorce, a royal tear fell down his cheek.

Mariana approached the door.
Before leaving, he added:

“Thank you for breaking my heart…” Because it was exactly what I needed to find out who I really was.

That night, the collection was an absolute success.
The “Fénix de Fuego” brand became a national trend.
Mariana Ortega appeared on magazine covers, interviews, awards.

Months later, she opened a foundation to support women who were starting from scratch.
Scholarships. Workshops. New opportunities.

And at each inauguration, he always repeated the same phrase:

“Sometimes they take everything away from you… so that you may discover that within you was the true empire.”

Alejandro, for his part, remade his life away from the spotlight.
He did not look for it again.
But every time I saw his name on a screen, I smiled with a mixture of pride and melancholy.

Because in the end he understood something that came too late:

The woman who thought she was small…
it was actually an entire universe.