Amelia passed a hand over her face, feeling trapped between a rock and a hard place. Her gaze settled on Anaís, who was playing absentmindedly with a doll in the corner of the room, oblivious to the drama unfolding around her.

"It isn't that simple, Mrs. Esmeralda," Amelia murmured, her voice barely audible. "Marrying Alejandro frightens me. Living with him will be a lie."

Esmeralda observed her with a mixture of compassion and sternness in her eyes.

"Sometimes, my dear, a mother's love require