Chapter 211 — The Decision That Broke the LegacyDays had passed, and Ayden kept trying to reach Milagros’s heart, but she refused to talk about it. He didn’t push her. He knew she was getting ready to leave, and he… he felt like he was dying. He had the feeling Milagros would not come back. And that day, with his soul crushed, he made the decision to go speak with his grandfather.The antique clock in Fabián Castell’s office read ten past five when the door opened without warning.Ayden walked in with firm steps. He looked thinner after the scare at the hotel, and there was something different in his eyes: resolve, an adult depth neither Fabián nor Adrián had ever seen in him before.Fabián looked up and studied him.“Come in, my beloved grandson,” he said slowly. “Close the door, please.”His grandfather watched him carefully. It was incredible how that young man, who for years had been a walking earthquake, finally carried himself like a complete man.And a man in love.“I heard Mi

Chapter 213 — The Yes That Wasn’t a Yes…In the candlelit dining room, the silence became delicate, almost sacred, as Ayden slid the ring onto Milagros’s finger.She was trembling.So was he… but not for the same reason.He trembled with emotion.She trembled because of everything that gesture was about to break inside her.And still, the ring fit.It fit perfectly.As if it had been waiting for that place all its life.As if it were not a decision made in that moment… but something that had already been written before either of them even knew what they felt.Maybe Ayden had expected something else.A “yes” spoken out loud.A firmer gesture.A confirmation that left no room for doubt.But all he got… was that.Her not rejecting him.And for one eternal second, that was enough to leave him speechless.A second in which the world did not move forward, in which everything hung suspended between what he dreamed of… and what she did not dare destroy.Then the air returned.And with it, the

Chapter 215 — Madrid, Her Father… and the First Tremor The plane touched down with a sharp jolt. Some passengers were still asleep, while others looked nervously out the windows, as if needing to confirm they had truly arrived. Milagros was one of those who had fallen asleep. She opened her eyes slowly, feeling the weight of the world press against her chest when she heard the announcement over the speaker telling them to fasten their seatbelts for landing. Ayden still had his head resting on her shoulder, breathing peacefully, wearing that big-child expression that disarmed her more than she wanted to admit. She didn’t have the courage to move him. Nor did she want to. Nor did she have the strength to push him away. He woke up just before landing, apologized in that husky voice that stole her breath, and she answered: “It’s okay.” But it wasn’t “okay.” She was shaken by everything she was feeling in her heart. There had been a shift, something Ayden had moved inside her wit

Chapter 217 — The Night That Found Them Exhausted Night fell over Madrid like a long sigh after a day that had been far too intense. The day had felt endless. When they finally all sat down to dinner, Milagros felt as if her body had been begging for bed for hours. Martina had ordered homemade pizzas from a local Italian place, because, as she put it, Spanish mozzarella “isn’t the same as Uruguayan mozzarella, but it saves your life on days with a crying baby.” Elián added sandwiches, a charcuterie board, bread with tomato, olives… simple, delicious, comforting food. Milagros, with the baby asleep against her chest, barely managed two slices. Ayden watched her in silence, without pressuring her, without saying too much, with that quiet attentiveness of someone carefully measuring every gesture so he wouldn’t make a family that still looked at him with distrust uncomfortable. He didn’t want to mess up. The atmosphere, however… was tense. Martín looked at Ayden as if he were a

CHAPTER 219 — Martina Plays Cupid OBENT ATELIER looked like a dream: warm lighting, draped fabrics, and soft colors hanging from the racks like clouds made of silk. Milagros stepped into the fitting room. “Is it your turn to try on the dress now?” Martina asked without looking up. “Yes…” Milagros answered softly. Too softly to sound casual. Martina lifted her head just enough to look at her. That one second was all she needed. She knew her better than anyone. “What happened?” she asked, raising one eyebrow with that unmistakable don’t lie to me expression. “Nothing,” Milagros said nervously. “I’m just tired. That’s all.” Martina set the diapers aside. “Don’t give me that tired nonsense, Milagros Saavedra. I’ve known you since you used to steal my ice cream and swear it was the dog. So start talking. What happened?” Milagros glanced toward the door to make sure Ayden wasn’t nearby. He wasn’t. He was still outside on the terrace, talking to Elián. She sigh