Libia sat on her sofa, her face pale, hands trembling, and mouth dry, panic consuming her more and more. She was convinced she was going to die—or worse, be murdered in some horrible way.

"This has to be some cruel joke," she whispered, hugging herself tightly.

Esteban shook his head. "*Even in the grave, that woman won’t leave Libia alone!*" he thought bitterly.

"We’ll find a solution," Natalia assured her.

"No! You two can’t get involved. I don’t want to put you at risk. I’ll tell Dorantes—maybe he can help me." A glimmer of hope appeared in her eyes.

Julio surely had some connections, something that could get her out of this mess.

"I’m not sure it’s a good idea to trust that man so much," Esteban commented, staring at the floor. He didn’t like to meddle in other people’s business, but this situation was serious, and he wanted to help Libia.

"Well, I don’t have many options," Libia replied, looking disheartened at her friends.

Natalia approached and gave her a tight hug, trying to c