"What do you have to do with this, Alejandro?" Sergio spat in an aggressive tone. "This is a matter between Amelia and me. Stay out of it."Alejandro did not move, nor did his expression change. He simply stood his ground, like a wall."This is my house and she doesn't want you here either, so you can either walk out on your own feet or I'll throw you out," Alejandro said with freezing calm."I am not leaving here without my fiancée," Sergio stated."You are frightening my daughter, and I am not going to allow that to continue. If Amelia is asking you to leave, do it! Because otherwise, I won't be held responsible," the man said firmly.Amelia, still holding Anaís, watched the two men face each other in silence. The air in the room felt thick, charged with emotions on the verge of exploding. Her heart beat hard, not only out of fear of what might happen, but out of uncertainty over what she should do.Sergio took a deep breath, as if trying to calm himself, but his rage was evident. H

The air turned heavy at once. Amelia felt a mixture of shock and panic invade her body, while Alejandro, with a smile that didn't reach his eyes, looked at her as if enjoying every second of her discomfort."Well, Amelia, did you hear what my mother said?" Alejandro inquired, shrugging. "And it just so happens that I am an obedient son."Amelia blinked rapidly, her heart beating wildly as she tried to process what she had just heard."What do you mean?" she asked, her brow furrowed."Exactly what you think. It's best that we get married."Her gaze darted from Alejandro to Esmeralda, who was clearly delighted by the idea, as if she had just solved the greatest dilemma of her life."Are you insane?" Amelia finally blurted out, putting her hands to her head, still incredulous at the direction the conversation had taken. "This makes no sense! You can't say something like that just because your mother suggests it."Alejandro arched an eyebrow and maintained his mocking smile."Why not?" he

Amelia took the folder Alejandro extended to her, her fingers trembling slightly as she looked at it as if it were a weapon about to fire.The silence that followed Alejandro's words seemed to trap every corner of the room, making her feel even more suffocated. She could not help but feel uneasy.Alejandro signaled to his mother to leave with Anaís."Excuse us," the woman said, leaving the room with her granddaughter.Once Esmeralda left, Amelia faced him."What is this exactly?" she finally asked, without yet opening the folder, her voice tinged with a mixture of defiance and vulnerability.Alejandro observed her fixedly, crossing his arms while his rigid posture reflected the weight of the situation."It's a prenuptial agreement, as I told you before," he responded, without taking his eyes off her. "It establishes the terms under which we will marry. It isn't just for us; it's for Anaís."Amelia furrowed her brow and took a deep breath before opening the folder and beginning to read

The days passed, and soon the weekend arrived, bringing the long-awaited wedding day.Amelia found herself in the bedroom that had been assigned to her at Alejandro's house the day before, and at that moment she was standing in front of the mirror.She wore a simple, oyster-white dress, without exaggerated ornaments or lace—something completely removed from what she had always imagined for an occasion as momentous as her wedding.She had always wanted to marry in a beautiful, white princess gown, surrounded by her family and friends, but now she could not do so, because she had neither the dress nor any family or friends. Like so many things in her life lately, this wedding had nothing to do with the dreams she once held.The dress fit her well, but she could not help but feel a weight in her chest, a discomfort that had nothing to do with the garment she wore. Anxiety was thumping deep inside her, like a storm threatening to break the calm ahead of time.Esmeralda, Alejandro's mother

Manuela swallowed hard, her mind working rapidly to find a way out of what she had just said without thinking. Sergio's intense gaze had her trapped. She knew she had made a mistake by speaking, but she also knew she could no longer back down."I... I know because I did know her, I already told you that she went to school with me and I stopped seeing her at graduation," she said, trying to sound calm. "Though that doesn't matter anymore. I imagine you want to get revenge on her, or am I wrong?""There is nothing I want more than to make her pay for this humiliation. Most likely, tomorrow every media outlet will be parading the news that she left me to get engaged to the richest man; I will be the laughingstock of the entire country. Amelia shouldn't have done that, but now she must pay for it," he said with an expression of fury on his face.Manuela leaned forward, her eyes gleaming with a mixture of anticipation and something darker, feeling happy because she still harbored an absolu