She Turned Her Grief Into Wings novel Chapter 124

"But she didn't want to completely ruin the girl's future, so out of a sense of grace, she never released a public statement."

"She never imagined Rosalie would continue using her name to further her own agenda. When everything happened with you, my mother couldn't help but wonder if she had made the wrong call."

"She thought that if she had exposed Rosalie's true colors sooner, you wouldn't have been dragged through the mud."

Shera had no idea Felipa was carrying that kind of emotional burden.

She stopped walking and looked up at him. "The truth is, if you want to compete at the highest level, you have to be prepared to face malice. I never expected this journey to be a walk in the park."

"Being targeted is just the price of ambition. I wouldn't want anyone else blaming themselves for my obstacles."

"I'll make sure to find the right moment to talk to Felipa. I don't want her carrying any guilt over this."

Her tone was incredibly gentle, yet underscored by a sharp, clear-eyed resilience that struck Pearce straight in the chest.

Faced with a vicious smear campaign, she didn't play the victim or complain about how unfair the world was.

She simply analyzed the situation and handled it.

She even had the grace to look back at the ordeal with complete composure, assessing the risks and rewards of her own choices.

Standing there under the amber streetlights, she exuded a grounded maturity that was entirely uniquely hers.

He didn't hide his admiration. "That's an incredibly profound way to look at it. Rather than complaining after the fact, it's better to accept and mitigate the risks upfront."

Shera smiled warmly at him. "Exactly. You put it perfectly."

The two of them reached her parking spot.

Shera reached out for the materials, but Pearce smoothly sidestepped, refusing to let her carry the heavy load.

He motioned for her to open the passenger door and carefully placed the stack inside.

Just as they stood there, a sleek black sedan glided around the corner.

In the backseat, Caden Hayes was staring intently at a tablet.

In the driver's seat, Aiken suddenly caught sight of the scene ahead and violently slammed on the brakes.

The car jerked to a halt, causing the man in the back to frown in intense annoyance.

"I will. You too."

Shera opened the driver's side door, slipped inside, and smoothly pulled out of the driveway.

Pearce stood there, watching the empty space where her car had been long after she was gone, before finally turning to leave.

Inside the black sedan.

Caden watched the entire interaction unfold, his eyes burning as he observed the lingering look the other man gave her after she drove away.

She saved her beautiful smiles for literally everyone but him.

The tablet glowed brightly in his hand, the corporate chatter buzzing endlessly in his ear.

It took Caden a long time to snap back to reality.

"Drive."

His voice was dangerously low.