Rome woke up to headlines screaming betrayal, scandal, and consequences.
Aaliyah stood in front of the living room window, the city stretching endlessly below her. Cameras waited outside. Phones wouldn't stop vibrating. The world had already decided who Estrella was supposed to be.
But Aaliyah hadn't.
Behind her, Estrella sat curled on the couch, pale, exhausted, hands resting unconsciously over her stomach. The reality of it all pressed down on her chest like a weight she couldn't escape.
Pregnant.
Exposed.
Judged.
Thomas stood near the doorway, silent, tense, knowing this chapter of his life had already crossed a line that could never be erased. Whatever he said now would never be enough.
Damiano watched them all, arms crossed, jaw tight, his eyes burning with something darker than anger.
Disappointment.
Loss.
Fear.
The silence broke when Aaliyah finally turned around.
Her voice didn't shake.
— "Estrella. You need to tell me your decision."
Estrella swallowed hard.
— "I won't hide."
Everyone froze.
She stood slowly, her legs trembling but her eyes steady.
— "I'm not running away. I'm not pretending this didn't happen. And I'm not letting the media decide who I am."
Damiano exhaled sharply.
— "You're eighteen. This isn't just about you anymore."
— "I know," Estrella said quietly. "That's why I'm choosing myself."
Thomas took a step forward.
— "I'll take responsibility. Whatever it takes. I—"
Damiano cut him off instantly.
— "Responsibility doesn't erase consequences."
The room crackled with tension.
Aaliyah stepped between them.
— "Enough."
They both stopped.
She turned to Thomas, her gaze calm but unforgiving.
— "You don't get to play hero now. You crossed a line knowing exactly who my daughter is. And from this moment on, lawyers will decide what responsibility looks like."
Thomas nodded slowly.
He deserved that.
Then Aaliyah turned back to Estrella, softer now.
— "You don't owe the world an explanation. But you owe yourself protection."
Estrella's voice broke for the first time.
— "I don't want to lose my future."
Aaliyah stepped closer and cupped her daughter's face.
— "You won't."
Damiano looked away, fighting his own collapse.
— "This will destroy everything," he muttered.
Victoria's voice came through the phone on speaker, sharp and clear.
— "Or it will redefine it. We control the narrative now."
Outside, the media waited.
Inside, a family stood at the edge of something irreversible.
Aaliyah straightened her shoulders.
— "Here's what happens next."
Everyone listened.
— "Estrella will make one statement. One. No interviews. No speculation."
— "Thomas steps back publicly."
— "Legal teams handle the rest."
— "And anyone who tries to break my daughter—will answer to me."
Damiano looked at her, something shifting in his eyes.
— "You're not afraid anymore."
Aaliyah met his gaze.
— "I buried fear when I lost my child."
Estrella reached for her hand.
— "Mom… will you stand with me?"
Aaliyah squeezed her fingers.
— "Always."
Outside, cameras flashed.
Inside, Thomas realized his life would never return to what it was.
Damiano realized being a father meant choosing control over rage.
And Estrella took a breath—deep, steady—knowing that whatever came next…
She had chosen it.
Cliffhanger:
As Aaliyah's phone lights up with an incoming call from an international legal firm, the screen shows three words:
"Emergency injunction filed."
And everything changes again.