Twisted Obsession (Twisted Series #3)

Chapter Thirteen

Valeria

...

The moment I stepped into the boardroom, every head turned. Not because of what I was wearing—although I was in my power black suit and heels—but because they knew I had something that could shake the ground beneath CruzTech.

I held a folder in my hand. Inside it: the truth.

“Good morning,” I said calmly, setting the folder down on the center of the glass table. “I believe this concerns all of us.”

Mr. Santiago, one of the older board members, raised an eyebrow. “What’s this about, Ms. Navarro?”

I met his eyes. “Selena Lin’s attempt to sabotage CruzTech’s integrity. Again.”

A sharp silence fell.

Then I opened the folder and passed the contents around—copies of the leaked emails, timelines, connections to shell companies, and screenshots that linked her to two major investor influencers. Each page was damning. Every word undeniable.

I didn’t speak as they read.

Let the evidence scream for me.

Ten minutes of pure silence.

Then Mr. Martinez spoke. “We’ll launch an official inquiry. But from what I’ve seen here, Ms. Lin’s involvement with CruzTech ends today.”

---

After the Meeting – Outside the Boardroom

Aiden was waiting for me, arms crossed, expression unreadable. His navy suit looked almost too perfect. It didn’t match the storm behind his eyes.

“Well?” he asked.

“They’re opening an internal investigation. But one of them already said it aloud—‘Selena’s burned her last bridge.’”

He nodded. “Good.”

“You knew this would happen.”

“I hoped. But you made it happen.”

I didn’t reply. I just leaned into his chest, letting the tension finally start to melt.

He didn’t speak, just wrapped his arms around me tightly. For once, I didn’t pull away.

Because for the first time in years, I felt safe.

---

That Evening – Rooftop Bar in Ortigas

Claire and I met up for drinks. She didn’t waste time.

“So… when are you admitting na in love ka na?” she teased, sipping her mojito.

I rolled my eyes. “Saan mo nakuha ’yan?”

“Sa aura mo. You glow in board meetings now. Not the fake kind, ha—yung ‘I’m finally at peace’ kind.”

I bit my lip. “It’s not that simple, Claire. There’s still so much we’re working through. And he—he’s not easy.”

“But he’s trying?”

I nodded. “Every day.”

Claire leaned closer. “Then let him. You don’t have to carry everything alone anymore, Val.”

---

Two Days Later – CruzTech Garden Terrace

Aiden invited me to lunch.

He never does that without a reason.

“Okay, spill,” I said, sitting across from him at the small outdoor table. We were surrounded by tall plants and distant city noise. It was unusually warm for the season, but the breeze kept the moment light.

He handed me a small envelope.

“What’s this?”

“Proof that Selena fled the country yesterday. And that the remaining board members have signed an official statement barring her from any future involvement with CruzTech.”

I blinked. “So… she’s gone.”

“For good.”

We sat in silence for a beat, the kind that settles in after a long battle finally ends.

Then he said something that made my heart stop.

“I want to rebuild, Valeria. Not just CruzTech. Not just our careers. But us. Whatever this is between us, I want to stop pretending it’s temporary.”

I looked at him, stunned. “Aiden—”

“I can’t stop loving you,” he said quietly. “Even when I tried, even when I thought it was smarter not to. You’ve always been the one thing I couldn’t control.”

I swallowed hard, throat tightening.

“I don’t need perfect, Val. I just need you. All of you. Even the guarded parts. Especially the broken ones.”

Tears pricked my eyes.

“Okay,” I whispered. “Okay.”

---

Later That Night – Valeria’s Apartment

He stayed. Not out of necessity—but choice.

I watched him in the soft glow of my living room as he removed his coat and loosened his tie. There was something surreal about seeing him in my space like that.

He walked over, brushing a lock of hair behind my ear.

“Thank you,” I murmured.

“For what?”

“For showing me I wasn’t too broken to be chosen.”

He leaned in, forehead resting on mine. “You were never broken. Just guarded. And I’ll keep showing up until every wall crumbles.”

Then, in the quiet of my apartment, with nothing but the city humming below us, I kissed him back.

And for the first time, it didn’t feel dangerous.

It felt like home.