---- Chapter 5 Edison POV: The silence that followed my words was absolute. It was the heavy, crushing silence of a world being irrevocably shattered. Coleton Ruiz' s face, which had been flushed with anger just moments before, was now a ghastly, bloodless white. He looked as if he' d been struck by lightning. His eyes, wide with disbelief and dawning horror, darted from my face to Erika' s. "Owner?" he stammered, the word a choked, pathetic sound. "Erika... what is he talking about?" | let out a short, sharp laugh, devoid of any humor. "Do you really need it spelled out for you, son? The anonymous, legendary creator of the 'Aura' framework? The one our entire multi-billion dollar company is built upon? You' re looking at her.' | watched as the full weight of the truth crashed down on him. Every promotion he' d ever received. Every project he' d ever led. The very job that had brought him to this city, that had put him in this office-it was all thanks to the woman he had just publicly humiliated and tried to fire. Beside me, Erika flinched, a soft, wounded sound escaping her lips. The last of her strength seemed to give out, and she sagged against me. All the carefully constructed walls she ---- had built around herself, all the professional poise, had crumbled, leaving behind only the raw, agonizing pain of betrayal. To see her reduced to this, by this... boy. It ignited a fury in me that was cold and absolute. Her tears fell silently, a testament to the complete and utter absurdity of her sacrifice. She had given this man her heart, her loyalty, and, unbeknownst to him, her empire. And he had treated it all like dirt. His gaze was locked on her, a maelstrom of confusion, panic, and a desperate, dawning regret swirling in his eyes. He looked like a man watching his entire life burn to the ground, finally realizing he was the one who had struck the match. Erika lifted her head, her own eyes, red-rimmed and hollow, meeting his. A small, broken smile touched her lips. "He' s not lying, Coleton," she whispered, her voice hoarse. "l am Aura." "For five years, she has quietly guided your career," | continued, my voice a low, relentless hammer blow. "She recommended you for the junior developer position right out of college. She personally vouched for you to lead the Austin expansion project, telling me you had more potential than anyone she knew. We put you here as a test, Ruiz. A test of your character, your loyalty. We wanted to see if you were worthy of her before we offered you a permanent place, not just in this company, but in our family." | let the implication hang in the air, a final, devastating twist of the knife. ---- "She bent over backwards, compromised her own career path, all to build a future with you. And what did you do? The moment she was out of sight, you replaced her. You found yourself a new 'climbing partner,' a new source of validation, and you discarded five years of devotion like it was nothing." | glanced dismissively at Kyra Boyd, who was now staring at Erika with a look of pure, unadulterated shock. Then | looked back at Coleton. "You talk about loneliness? You don't know the meaning of the word. Erika built this world for you, and all you had to do was not be a fool. You failed." | gently turned Erika away from him, my arm protectively around her shoulders, and began to guide her toward the elevator. | didn' t spare him another glance. He was no longer relevant. The elevator doors began to slide shut, a silver curtain falling on the ruins of his life. At the last possible second, he seemed to jolt back to life, lurching forward with a desperate cry. "Erika, wait!" But the doors closed, sealing him away. Inside the mirrored elevator, Erika stared at her own reflection -a pale, tear-streaked ghost. She was shaking, her breath coming in ragged, painful sobs. "He... he didn' t know," she choked out, her voice breaking. | sighed, my anger softening into a deep, paternal sorrow. ---- "That, my dear, is the point. He should have loved you for you, not for what you are." | gently squeezed her shoulder. "The bet is off, Erika. You don' t have to prove anything to your father, or to anyone, ever again." Her whole body trembled at the mention of the bet. It was a foolish thing, born of a father' s protective pride. He' d never approved of Coleton, seeing him as an ambitious but shallow boy from the wrong side of the tracks. "Prove to me he loves you for you," he had challenged her. "Build him up without him ever knowing it' s your hand guiding him. If he remains true when he has it all, then | will give you my blessing." She had poured her heart and soul into winning that bet. She thought it was a two-way street, a shared journey. She never imagined she was the only one running the race. All her sacrifice, all her quiet, unwavering support, had just been proven to be a tragic, one-sided joke. Back at her temporary corporate apartment, she moved like an automaton, mechanically packing the suitcase she had just unpacked. Her phone, which she' d left on the coffee table, began to light up, a frantic, incessant blinking. It was Coleton. A flood of messages poured in, a real-time log of his spiraling descent into panic. Erika, please pick up the phone. | don' t understand. What did he mean? An owner? ---- Please, we need to talk. | can explain everything about Kyra. Erika, I'm so sorry. ' m an idiot. | was wrong. Please just talk tome. Don' t do this. Don' t leave me. | love you. | can' t live without you. The last message | saw before she turned the phone over was different. The pleading was gone, replaced by a raw, bitter accusation. Was this all a game to you? Was | just some project? Some charity case you could build up and then discard? She never even read it. She just picked up her phone, her expression calm and eerily serene, and dialed my number. "Edison," she said, her voice quiet but firm. "Change my flight. | want to leave tonight." There was a pause. "And tender my resignation from the Austin project. Effective immediately." "Are you sure?" | asked gently. "You don't have to run." She closed her eyes, a single tear tracing a path down her cheek. When she opened them again, they were clear and resolute. "I'm not running," she said. "I'm going home." 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. 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