A deathly silence fell over the office. The director, her eyes wide, stood frozen for a few moments, processing the revelation she had just heard. Amelia, for her part, felt as though the weight of the world had been lifted from her shoulders, yet at the same time, fear and uncertainty flooded her.

"What did you say?" the director asked, her voice now more of an incredulous whisper than her previous authoritative tone.

Amelia, with tears streaming down her cheeks, took a deep breath before continuing.

"I am Anaís's biological mother," she confessed, her voice trembling but firm. "I left her here four years ago, when she was a day old. I had no other choice at the time; I had no money to support her. But I kept volunteering here just to be close to her, and now that my circumstances have changed, I want her back."

The director sank into her chair, visibly shaken. Her gaze softened, though worry still creased her brow.

"Miss Delgado, I understand this must be very difficult for you, but you must realize the situation is delicate," the director said, her tone now more compassionate. "Anaís has been in our care for four years. Legally, you surrendered your maternal rights when you left her here."

Amelia nodded, wiping away her tears with the back of her hand.

"I know, and I regret that decision every single day. But I was young, terrified, and alone. I had no money, not even a place to live, and from the very next day, I made sure she was cared for. Now I have a home, I will soon have a stable job, and I can give my daughter the life she deserves."

The director sighed, her gaze drifting to the papers on her desk.

"There are protocols we must follow, evaluations to conduct. And we must also consider Anaís's emotional well-being... furthermore... the person who adopted her initiated the proceedings some time ago, and the court has already granted the adoption..."

"How is that possible? I never saw anyone interested in adopting Anaís," Amelia whispered in mortification.

"As I told you, he came months ago, and from the moment he saw the girl, he decided she would be his daughter. I advise you to find a lawyer to guide you... because I don't think you can overturn this decision. That man is incredibly powerful, and no one opposes what he wants," the woman stated firmly.

"No! That can't be. You have to tell me where I can find him; I need to speak with him," Amelia expressed desperately.

"I'm sorry, but I cannot give you that information, nor can I tell you the name of that family... the most I can do for you is speak with him, ask him to come here to talk with me, and intercede on your behalf so he agrees to speak with you," the woman declared firmly.

Amelia felt the world crumbling around her. Her heart pounded wildly, threatening to burst from her chest. Desperation took hold of her, clouding her thoughts.

"Please," she pleaded, her voice cracking. "I need to have my daughter. She needs me, I need her. She can't just disappear from my life."

The director looked at her with a mixture of compassion and resignation.

"I understand your pain, Miss Delgado, but my hands are tied. The law is clear in these cases, and you made your choice."

Amelia stood up, her legs shaking.

"I will do whatever it takes. I will hire the best lawyer; I will fight in the courts. I won't give up until I have my daughter back... I haven't come this far to lose her now."

She walked out of the office with firm steps, though inside she felt shattered. In the hallway, she ran into María, a worker who was a friend of hers and hid nothing from her, wasting no time in sharing what she knew.

"Did you hear that Anaís was adopted by a millionaire gentleman?" When Amelia shook her head, María continued, "They even came to pick her up in a limousine. He's one of the Valentes—his name is Alejandro Valente."

With that information, Amelia left. She went straight to the apartment she had rented the day before, turned on her computer, and began searching for everything related to Alejandro Valente. She jotted down the details in a notebook, and though she only found corporate information, she did not hesitate to call his office. One of his secretaries answered.

Amelia spoke to her in German at first, claiming to be a systems analyst from a cybersecurity firm contracted by the Valente conglomerate. Though the woman was hesitant, Amelia convinced her.

"If I cannot contact Mr. Alejandro Valente today, my company will revoke the contract, and I hope the damages resulting from that do not fall on you."

Her words convinced the secretary, and a minute later, Amelia had not only the man's phone number but also his address.

"I don't care who Alejandro Valente is, but you are not keeping my daughter—because I won't let you!" With those words, she left her apartment and took a taxi to the Valente mansion.

Alejandro had not only prepared the house for his daughter's arrival but had also organized a welcome party; however, the little girl, after being dressed up, refused to go downstairs.

"I don't want to go down," the girl signed, raising both hands and moving them rapidly, her face showing clear annoyance.

"Why don't you want to? The whole family is excited to welcome you—your grandparents, your uncles, your cousins," Alejandro signed back, moving his fingers.

"Not until my mother appears. You told me you would find her, and I don't see her," the girl signed with a look of determination.

Alejandro raised a hand to his eyes with a touch of exasperation. He couldn't tell Anaís that it wasn't worth finding a woman so heartless she hadn't cared about abandoning her—and that she had done so because of her hearing disability, which was what he had been told. But seeing the girl's pleading eyes, he knew he couldn't hurt her.

At that moment, a commotion was heard downstairs. Alejandro looked over the banister and saw a tall, golden-blonde woman fighting.

"I demand you tell your boss to come out and face me!" she shouted, exasperated.

Alejandro frowned.

"Stay with Anaís. I'm going to see what is happening down there."

Alejandro walked down the stairs with firm steps, his face hardened with annoyance.

Reaching the foyer, he came face-to-face with the blonde woman who was shouting. Her grayish-blue eyes looked as if they were throwing sparks.

"Who the hell are you to come into my house and shout like that?!" he spat, his voice firm and harsh.

The woman spun toward him, her eyes shining with a mixture of fury and determination.

"Are you Alejandro Valente?" she asked, though her voice trembled slightly.

"I asked the question first. What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice cold as ice.

"I am Amelia Delgado, and I came for my daughter," Amelia declared firmly. "I know she is here, and I am not leaving without her."