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00:00Catalina challenges Leocatia and the man threatens the Lujans.
00:10Chapter 67 of The Promise promises raw emotions and unexpected twists.
00:17Catalina stands firm against Leocatia's wiles,
00:20starting a power struggle that could shake the foundations of the palace.
00:23At the same time, Santos and Cristobal de Ricardo are the target of constant humiliation,
00:31forcing Pi to intercede in the hope of awakening a glimmer of compassion.
00:37While Loé and Vera remain trapped in the tension of their painful breakup,
00:41Manuel eagerly embarks on his new business project.
00:46But nothing happens to the dangerous move of the Valladares man,
00:49who crosses a red line with a threat capable of changing everything for the Lujans.
00:56Who will prevail in this duel of ambitions and feelings?
01:00On Wednesday, September 17, the intrigue and drama reach a new level in The Promise.
01:07The afternoon sun on Thursday, September 18,
01:10tinged the fields surrounding The Promise with gold and melancholy.
01:13It was a beautiful and cruel light,
01:18one that gilded the contours of a world that for many of its inhabitants was crumbling from within.
01:26The walls of the palace, witnesses to centuries-old secrets,
01:30seemed to hold their breath,
01:31anticipating the storms brewing in the hearts of those who inhabited them.
01:34And Catalina's gilded cage.
01:40The air in the library smelled of old leather, paper,
01:43and the noble wood of the bookshelves that rose to the ceiling
01:46like silent guardians of the Lujans' knowledge and lies.
01:51But to Catalina that day it smelled like a trap.
01:55The Valladares man had invited her under the pretext of reviewing some estate accounts,
01:59a pretext so banal that it immediately set off alarms.
02:02He was never interested in mundane details,
02:07unless those details were bait for a much bigger fish.
02:12The man stood with his back to her,
02:15gazing out at the garden through one of the large windows.
02:19The setting sun silhouetted him,
02:22making him a dark and ominous figure.
02:26He held a snifter of brandy,
02:28its amber liquid catching the light like a liquid jewel.
02:32Catherine, my dear,
02:35thank you for coming,
02:36he said without turning.
02:38His voice was a soft purr,
02:40the kind of sound a large cat might make just before it pounced on its prey.
02:47Catherine, you told me it was urgent,
02:49she replied,
02:50keeping her own voice steady,
02:51a shield against the unease already beginning to nestle in her stomach.
02:55She stood by the door,
02:59refusing to venture any further into the space he had claimed as his lair.
03:02And it is terribly urgent,
03:07he said,
03:08turning at last.
03:11A thin,
03:12unwarm smile played on his lips,
03:14but it has nothing to do with the yield of the crops or the price of grain.
03:17It has to do with you,
03:22with your future,
03:23and more importantly with the future of your children.
03:29Catalina's heart gave a painful twist.
03:31The mention of her children,
03:34of Mateo and little Sophia,
03:36transformed the atmosphere in the room.
03:39The air became thick,
03:40heavy,
03:41charged with an invisible but palpable menace.
03:44What do you mean by that?
03:46She asked,
03:47and she noticed an angry tremor in his voice.
03:52The man took a sip of his brandy,
03:54savoring it with maddening calm.
03:57He walked over to the large mahogany table,
03:59setting down his glass with a delicate click.
04:01Your children are adorable creatures,
04:06full of light.
04:07Mateo,
04:08with his intrepid spirit,
04:09always climbing the tallest trees in the garden.
04:14And Sophia has the same curious gaze as you.
04:17It would be a shame if that vitality were cut short.
04:21Each word was a measured blow,
04:23designed to inflict maximum damage.
04:27Catalina felt the ground open up beneath her feet.
04:31It was not a veiled threat,
04:33it was a brutal and direct declaration of intent,
04:36wrapped in the cellophane of false concern.
04:39Quote,
04:39Don't you dare,
04:42he hissed.
04:43She took a step forward,
04:45her hands balled into fists at her sides.
04:48Quote,
04:49Don't you dare mention them.
04:51Oh,
04:52but I must because your well-being depends entirely on you.
04:56He continued,
04:57visibly enjoying the panic that bloomed in Catalina's eyes.
05:04You see,
05:05I have come to the conclusion that your presence at the promise is detrimental to my interests,
05:09of course,
05:10you are too intelligent,
05:11too tenacious,
05:12you hinder my plans.
05:17And I,
05:18Catalina,
05:19do not tolerate obstacles.
05:20You are a monster.
05:22I am a practical man,
05:23he corrected,
05:24he said,
05:25his smile widening.
05:28And I offer you a very practical solution.
05:31I want you to leave,
05:33to abandon the promise forever,
05:34to renounce everything that ties you to this place and disappear.
05:37Catalina looked at him incredulously.
05:43The audacity of his blackmail was so excessive that for a moment it left her speechless.
05:50Abandoning his home,
05:52his mother's legacy,
05:53leaving his family at the mercy of this predator.
05:56He's crazy.
05:57I will never do that.
05:59This is my home.
06:01It was your home,
06:02the man said,
06:03his voice losing all its softness to give way to an edge of steel.
06:07Quote,
06:08This is a very dangerous place for your children to be right now.
06:12Think about it,
06:13Catalina.
06:14An accident could happen at any moment.
06:18A horse running wild with a little girl's stroller nearby.
06:22A tree branch breaking just as Mateo is at the top.
06:25A careless moment in the kitchen,
06:29a spoiled meal.
06:31The possibilities are endless and it would be so, so tragic.
06:37No one would suspect,
06:38of course,
06:39they would just be unfortunate accidents.
06:43The images his words evoked assaulted Catalina's mind with the violence of a nightmare.
06:47She saw Mateo falling.
06:51She saw Sophia's stroller overturned.
06:54Pure, icy,
06:56paralyzing terror gripped her throat,
06:58choking off any response.
07:01She felt small,
07:02helpless,
07:03trapped in a web woven from her deepest affections.
07:05Why?
07:09She managed to whisper her internal struggle reflected on her pale face.
07:14Why so much hatred?
07:16It's not hatred,
07:17my dear,
07:17it's business.
07:19And you are bad business.
07:21I will give you 24 hours to make the right decision.
07:23Make your suitcases.
07:27Make up a plausible excuse,
07:28a visit to a sick aunt,
07:30a spiritual retreat.
07:32I don't care,
07:34but by this time tomorrow,
07:35I want you gone.
07:38If you don't,
07:39she let the sentence hang,
07:41allowing the implicit threat to resonate in the oppressive silence of the library.
07:47Let's just say I'm starting to get impatient,
07:49and my impatience always has consequences.
07:53Without another word,
07:55the Viadares man picked up his glass again and turned toward the window,
07:58bidding her farewell.
08:02The conversation was over.
08:04Catalina stood motionless for a moment,
08:07the echo of his cruel words bouncing off her skull.
08:11Then,
08:12with a robotic movement,
08:13she turned and left the library.
08:16She didn't run.
08:18She walked down the long,
08:20silent corridors of promise with the rigidity of an automaton.
08:23Every portrait of her ancestors on the walls seemed to stare at her with accusation.
08:30Every creak of the parquet beneath her feet sounded like a mockery.
08:35Her mind was a whirlwind of fear and rage.
08:38Fury boiled inside her,
08:40a helpless rage against the cruelty of men
08:42and against her own inability to protect those she loved most.
08:45But beneath the rage,
08:49fear was an icy current that froze everything.
08:54The safety of her children was the only variable that mattered.
08:58Compared to that,
08:59the promise,
09:00her honor,
09:01her own life were nothing.
09:04It was in this trance-like state that she ran into Adriano.
09:07He was leaving his office,
09:09his brow furrowed by some work-related concern,
09:11but his expression changed when he saw her.
09:14Quote,
09:15Catalina,
09:16are you okay?
09:17He asked,
09:18his voice filled with a genuine concern
09:20that was almost unbearable to her at that moment.
09:26She looked up and he could see the abyss in her eyes.
09:29She was pale,
09:31her lips colorless,
09:32her gaze lost.
09:35I need air.
09:37It was all she could manage to articulate.
09:39What happened?
09:40It was the man.
09:41I saw you enter the library with him.
09:46Catalina shook her head abruptly.
09:48She couldn't tell him.
09:50The man would have made that clear.
09:52Silence was part of the deal.
09:55If she spoke,
09:56the consequences would be the same.
09:58No,
09:59it was nothing.
10:01I'm just tired of all this,
10:02Adriano,
10:03of the promises,
10:04of the intrigues,
10:05of the responsibilities.
10:08Adriano looked at her,
10:09completely bewildered.
10:13This was not the Catalina he knew.
10:16The Catalina he admired was a fighter,
10:18a woman who never gave up,
10:20who found strength in adversity.
10:24Tired,
10:25Catalina,
10:26you are the backbone of this place.
10:28What are you talking about?
10:31She pulled away from his questioning gaze,
10:34leaning against the cold wall of the hallway.
10:38The decision,
10:39horrible and unbearable,
10:41began to solidify inside him.
10:44It was a surrender,
10:45the bitterest of his life,
10:46but he saw no other way out.
10:47Maybe it's time for me to go,
10:52his voice said,
10:53as fragile as shattering glass.
10:58That he would abandon his promise.
11:00Adriana's confusion turned to disbelief.
11:05Leave,
11:06abandon everything.
11:07Why?
11:07What did that man say to you
11:09to make you even consider something so crazy?
11:12This makes no sense.
11:15It makes all the sense in the world,
11:17she exclaimed with a vehemence that surprised him.
11:23Hot,
11:23furious tears finally welled up in her eyes.
11:27Maybe I can't take it anymore,
11:28don't you understand?
11:29Maybe I'm broken.
11:32He tried to move closer,
11:33to put a hand on her arm,
11:35but she shrugged him off.
11:36No,
11:39I don't believe you,
11:40Catalina,
11:41he said,
11:41his voice firm,
11:42but full of pain at seeing her like that.
11:46You don't break,
11:47you don't give up.
11:48Something else is happening,
11:50something you're not telling me.
11:53You can't give in to that wretch's pressure.
11:56But she no longer heard him.
12:00In her mind only the silent laughter of the man
12:02and the images of her children,
12:04happy and unaware of the danger
12:05that loomed over them,
12:07a danger that only she could avoid
12:08at the highest price.
12:12Adriana's rage,
12:13the incomprehension of others,
12:15everything,
12:16that was secondary.
12:19The choice,
12:20impossible as it seemed,
12:21had already been made.
12:23She would leave too,
12:24Honora's unsettling silence.
12:28Manuel had been watching Honora for days.
12:31It was not a conscious surveillance at first,
12:33but rather a series of small anomalies
12:36that his mind,
12:37trained to detect mechanical failures
12:38in the engines of his planes,
12:40had been registering.
12:45The young maid,
12:46normally discreet but efficient,
12:48had become erratic,
12:49her behavior as unpredictable
12:50as a gust of wind in midair.
12:52This morning,
12:57as she crossed the main lobby,
12:58she saw her talking to one of the waiters
13:00near the service stairs.
13:04When she noticed Manuel's presence,
13:06Honora fell abruptly.
13:09She gave him a look that was a mixture of panic and guilt
13:12and slunk away to the kitchen,
13:13leaving the waiter standing there speechless.
13:15Later,
13:19during lunch,
13:20Manuel asked her to bring him a glass of water.
13:23She nodded,
13:24but it took her forever to return.
13:28When she did,
13:29her hands were shaking so visibly
13:30that water spilled over her face,
13:32the rim of the glass.
13:35As he handed it to her,
13:36he avoided her gaze,
13:38his eyes fixed on an indeterminate point on the wall.
13:42Honora,
13:43are you okay?
13:44Manuel asked her,
13:46his tone more curious than accusatory.
13:50She jumped as if she had been awakened from a dream.
13:54Yes,
13:54Señorito Manuel.
13:58Perfectly.
14:00Excuse me,
14:01she murmured,
14:02and before he could say anything else,
14:04she curtsied awkwardly
14:05and practically fled from the dining room.
14:10Manuel's suspicion,
14:11until then a mere mist,
14:12began to take on a more definite,
14:14definite shape.
14:17It was not just nervousness,
14:19it was the behavior of someone who is hiding something,
14:21someone who is afraid of being discovered.
14:25In the afternoon,
14:26he decided to look for her.
14:28He found her in the ironing room,
14:29folding sheets with feverish concentration,
14:32as if the task required all her attention,
14:34so as not to think about anything else.
14:36The air was heavy with the smell of warm linen and starch.
14:42Honora,
14:43Manuel said,
14:43leaning against the door frame.
14:45She jumped again and a pile of freshly ironed tablecloths fell to the floor.
14:51Señorito,
14:51I,
14:52you scared me.
14:56I'm sorry,
14:57I just wanted to talk for a moment,
14:58he said,
14:59entering the small,
15:00warm room.
15:01I've noticed that you seem worried and distracted lately.
15:08If there's anything I can help you with,
15:10just say the word.
15:12Honora bent down to gather the tablecloths,
15:15her face hidden from Manuel's view.
15:16Her voice,
15:19when she answered,
15:20sounded muffled.
15:22It's nothing,
15:24young master,
15:25really,
15:25just my own business,
15:27unimportant worries.
15:31Sure,
15:31Manuel insisted,
15:33his instincts telling him that she was lying,
15:35because her demeanor suggested otherwise.
15:39She seemed to be walking on tenterhooks,
15:41as if she were afraid someone would find out.
15:44At the word find out,
15:46Honora's heart pricked.
15:49Her eyes,
15:50large and frightened,
15:51locked with his.
15:54For a second,
15:55Manuel saw a vulnerability so profound that he almost regretted pressing.
16:01She looked on the verge of confessing,
16:03of breaking down.
16:04Her lips parted.
16:06A strangled sound escaped her throat.
16:10But then the door opened Antonio,
16:13Simona's son,
16:14appeared with a basket of vegetables.
16:16Anora,
16:19my mother told me that,
16:20she began to say,
16:21but stopped when she saw Manuel.
16:25The atmosphere in the room was so tense you could cut it with a knife.
16:28Oh,
16:32excuse me,
16:32I didn't mean to interrupt.
16:34The interruption broke the spell.
16:36The mask of composure fell back over Anora's face.
16:39You're not interrupting anything,
16:43Tonio,
16:43she said,
16:44her voice now surprisingly firm.
16:47Mr. Manuel was already leaving.
16:50Manuel looked at her,
16:52realizing that the moment had passed.
16:54She had put her defenses back up.
16:57He wasn't going to get anything more from her for now.
17:00Quote,
17:00yes,
17:02I was leaving,
17:02he confirmed,
17:03though his gaze remained fixed on Anora,
17:05trying to decipher the enigma.
17:09But my offer still stands.
17:11If you need anything,
17:12anything at all,
17:13don't hesitate to seek me out.
17:15He left the ironing room with more questions than answers.
17:17The fear in Anora's eyes was real.
17:23What could be so terrible as to provoke such dread?
17:26And what role did the obvious connection she seemed to have with Tonio play in all of this?
17:31Manuel's suspicion had become a certainty.
17:34Anora was hiding a secret,
17:36one that he feared could have consequences for everyone in the promise.
17:42And he was determined to discover what it was.
17:453.
17:45The winter of Petra's discontent.
17:47Deep in the promise,
17:51in the world of service where hierarchies were as rigid as those of the nobility,
17:55Petra Arcos had always been a feared figure.
18:00Her loyalty to the Martianess was legendary and her tongue sharp as a razor.
18:07But in recent days her temper had soured to an unbearable point.
18:12Turned into a perpetual storm of ill humor and every member of the household was a lightning rod
18:17for his eye.
18:20The day began with an outburst in the laundry.
18:23Petra found a tiny stain on the collar of one of the Marquis's shirts,
18:27an almost invisible stain that had survived the wash.
18:29The washerwoman, two young and timid girls, cringe under her withering gaze.
18:45You don't have eyes in your head.
18:50Do you understand that the Marquis has made a mess because of you?
18:54Let's scrub it again and if it doesn't come off, you'll scrub it with your own skin.
19:00Later, in the kitchen, her anger turned to him.
19:04Croquettes.
19:05Croquettes again for the servant's lunch.
19:07She snapped, looking at the plate with absolute disdain.
19:12There's nothing else in your repertoire, boy.
19:15You're going to make us die of boredom and fat.
19:19But Mrs. Petra, if croquettes please you, they delight everyone.
19:23Lope tried to defend himself, confused.
19:25I don't love them and I'm the one who matters, she replied, her voice rising in volume.
19:35Tomorrow I want a decent stew with fresh vegetables, not this tavern fry-up.
19:42The tension was palpable.
19:44The staff tiptoed as she passed.
19:47Conversations fell silent when she entered a room.
19:49Her bitterness was a poison that seeped through the entire service, spreading discomfort and resentment.
20:00Simona and Candela, while peeling potatoes, discussed the situation in whispers.
20:06It's worse than ever, Candela said, casting a nervous glance toward the door.
20:12It looks like she's swallowed a wasp and it's stung her insides.
20:15Something's eating away at her soul.
20:18Candela replied Simona, her face furrowed with worry.
20:23No one becomes this bitter for nothing.
20:25It's as if she carries a very deep sorrow and the only way she knows how to release it is by biting.
20:32The height of her irascibility came in the afternoon and the victim was Vera.
20:37The young maid, already immersed in her own dark crisis,
20:41accidentally spilled a few drops of water on the freshly mopped floor of the main hallway.
20:47Petra, who was passing by at that moment, stopped dead in her tracks.
20:51But well, besides being useless, you're clumsy.
20:54Petra snapped at her, her voice dripping with venom.
20:58Look what you've done.
20:59They've just mopped.
21:01Do you think we're here to serve you and clean up your botched jobs?
21:03Vera, pale and with eyes red from crying so much in secret, froze.
21:10I'm sorry, Mrs. Petra, I didn't realize.
21:16I'll clean it right now.
21:18Of course you will, shouted Petra, her face just inches from the young woman's.
21:22On your knees and I want to see my reflection in that tile when you're done.
21:28Let's see if that way you'll learn to be more careful, you wretch.
21:34The public humiliation was the last straw for many.
21:38The murmur of disapproval was almost audible.
21:40Even Maria Fernandez, who used to confront Petra, was left speechless by such cruelty.
21:50The atmosphere in the service area had become unbreathable and everyone knew that if something
21:55didn't change, the situation would end up exploding in the worst possible way.
22:02Petra was creating a powder keg and she herself was holding the lit match and V wedding bells
22:06were ringing in the kitchen.
22:07Amidst the tension generated by Petra, the kitchen continued to be a small refuge, an
22:15oasis of aromas and rumors where life, despite everything, continued its course.
22:22And the rumor that had gained the most strength in recent days was that of a possible wedding
22:26between Tonio, Simona's son, and the enigmatic Anora.
22:31The rumor had begun with furtive glances, stolen smiles in the hallways and small gestures
22:37of complicity that had not gone unnoticed by the expert eyes of Simona and Lope.
22:44Tonio, who had always been a free and somewhat carefree soul, seemed to have found an anchor
22:48in the young maid.
22:49I tell you, Lope, my boy lights up, quote, his face every time he sees her, Simona said
22:58that afternoon, as she kneaded bread with renewed energy.
23:04The idea of seeing her son settle down filled her with indescribable happiness, quote.
23:09They look good together, Simona.
23:12They make a good couple, Lopez said, adding herbs to a stew.
23:18Although Anora is very reserved, it's hard to know what she's thinking.
23:23Well, that's because she's shy, but she has a heart of gold.
23:27I know that.
23:30And my Tonio will know how to take care of her.
23:33Oh, Lopez, can you imagine a wedding in the promise?
23:37What joy they would bring us.
23:39After so much sorrow, we need something to celebrate.
23:43Simona's excitement was contagious.
23:46She dreamed aloud about the preparations, the dress, the banquet.
23:49She imagined her son, her little Tonio, becoming a family man, giving him grandchildren for whom
23:56he could cook his best dishes.
23:59For her, this wedding represented the culmination of her hopes as a mother, a happy and stable
24:04future for the son she adored so much.
24:09Anora herself, however, seemed oblivious to these plans.
24:14When Simona, in a fit of enthusiasm, made a veiled comment about how well a wedding dress
24:19would suit her.
24:20The young woman put on a she turned pale and stammered an excuse to leave the kitchen
24:24in a hurry.
24:27Simona interpreted her reaction as pure novice embarrassment.
24:31Poor thing, I scared her, she said to Candela, laughing.
24:37She was not used to these things, but Lopez, who had observed the scene more closely, was
24:42not so sure.
24:42Anora's reaction had not seemed to him to be one of shyness, but of panic.
24:51The same panic that Manuel had detected.
24:56There was something in this relationship that did not fit, a piece of the puzzle that no
25:00one, except perhaps those involved, knew about.
25:02And while Simona dreamed of wedding bells, others began to hear a discordant note in that melody
25:10of love.
25:14Vera's walled in loneliness.
25:16Vera's pain was a silent and deep ocean.
25:18No one knew the cause of her crisis, but its effects were devastating and visible tall.
25:27She had built a wall around herself, brick by brick, with silences, lost gazes and a sadness
25:32so dense that it seemed to have a physical entity.
25:38Lope, who felt a special affection for her, was the one who suffered the most seeing her
25:42like this.
25:43He had tried to approach her on multiple occasions with the delicacy of someone who doesn't want
25:48to scare a wounded bird.
25:52Vera, do you want to take a walk in the garden when we're done?
25:56The fresh air will do you good, he suggested that afternoon as they were clearing the service's
26:01dinner plates.
26:04She didn't even look up from the plate she was cleaning.
26:08No, thank you, Lope.
26:09I'm tired, I'd rather go to my room.
26:14But you've barely eaten, can I make you something?
26:18A hot soup, a piece of cake.
26:21I'm not hungry, she replied, her voice monotonous, emotionless.
26:27Maria Fernandez had tried too.
26:30She sat down beside him in the bedroom they shared, a space that had previously witnessed
26:34their confidences and laughter.
26:36Vera, my friend, you have my soul on tenterhooks, he said softly.
26:43Whatever is happening to you, you do not have to carry this burden alone.
26:49We are here to help you.
26:51Let us in.
26:53Vera turned away in bed so that her back was to him.
26:56There is nothing you can do.
26:59No one can do anything.
27:00Please, leave me alone.
27:02The word loneliness had become her only companion.
27:07She moved through the promise like a ghost, mechanically carrying out her tasks, her empty
27:12eyes reflecting an inner torment that no one could decipher.
27:17Her friend's rejection of their help was what disconcerted and hurt them the most.
27:22It was not just that she suffered, it was that she had chosen to suffer alone, locked in
27:27an invisible prison whose key she seemed to have thrown away.
27:32Her isolation became more evident, more painful, every day, and those who loved her felt helpless,
27:39watching from the other side of an invisible glass as she sank a little deeper each day.
27:43I saw Pia Dare's exile.
27:48The news arrived in an official envelope bearing the seal of the king's estate.
27:54But the hand that pulled the strings was that of Don Cristobal, the new intendant of promise,
27:58a man whose efficiency was surpassed only by his utter lack of compassion.
28:04Pia, the housekeeper, was summoned to her office.
28:07The same office where Rumolo had once sat, a place that now felt cold, impersonal, like
28:14its new occupant.
28:17Cristobal did not invite her to sit.
28:20He remained standing behind his desk, papers in hand.
28:25Madame Adair, he began.
28:28Without preamble, I have been reviewing the staff structure and the needs of the various
28:32palaces under my administration.
28:34It has been decided that your skills would be of greatest use in the royal palace of Aranwaz.
28:43Pia looked at him in confusion.
28:45Aranwaz, no, I do not understand, sir.
28:49It is a transfer order, he clarified, his tone as sharp as a knife.
28:57Starting next week, you will serve as head housekeeper at Aranwaz.
29:00It's a promotion.
29:05She should be grateful, really.
29:07The word promotion sounded like an insult.
29:12Aranwaz, miles away, miles from her son, little Diguaito, who was sleeping at that very
29:17moment in the crib she had managed to keep close to her with so much effort.
29:21The realization hit her like a punch to the stomach, knocking the wind out of her.
29:29And my son?
29:32Her voice asked, a thread of panic trembling.
29:35My son cannot travel.
29:36He is only a baby.
29:37Cristobal looked at her with barely concealed impatience.
29:39Obviously, the child will remain here in the promise.
29:48There are more than enough wet nurses and maids to take care of him.
29:51A baby cannot be allowed to interfere with the duties of the crown.
29:59Devastation flooded Pia's face.
30:00This was not a transfer.
30:01It was an exile, a cruel and calculated punishment to separate her from the only thing that gave
30:06meaning to her life.
30:09Tears welled up in her eyes, but she refused to break down in front of this man.
30:17Sir, she begged, her voice breaking.
30:20You can't do this to me.
30:21He's my son.
30:23He needs me.
30:25I'm his mother, quote, and you are an employee, he interrupted her relentlessly.
30:32Your duties are above your personal attachments.
30:35The decision is final and cannot be discussed.
30:39You may leave.
30:41Pia remained there, rooted to the ground, unable to move.
30:45The world had stopped.
30:48The sound of her own heart beating violently was all she could hear.
30:52She wanted to be separated from Diguaito.
30:54The idea was so monstrous, so unnatural, that her mind refused to accept it.
30:59It was worse than a death sentence.
31:03It was living torture.
31:05She left the office like a sleepwalker.
31:08She saw no one in the hallways.
31:10She heard nothing.
31:12Her only destination was her son's room.
31:14As she entered, the tears she had been holding back finally overflowed into silent, heartbreaking sobs.
31:21She approached the crib and gazed at her baby's sleeping face, so peaceful, so oblivious to the cruelty of the world that awaited him.
31:30She picked him up in her arms with infinite delicacy, pressing him against her chest as if she wanted to merge him with her own.
31:39Quote, being.
31:40She breathed in his scent of milk and innocence, and tears fell on the child's little head.
31:49My life, my little one, she whispered between sobs.
31:53They want to tear me away from you, they want to steal you from me, but I won't let them.
31:58I swear, my love, I don't know how, but I won't let them separate us.
32:04But as she made that desperate promise, a terrible feeling of helplessness invaded her.
32:10She was facing a cold and inhuman system personified in Cristobal, a man who didn't understand love or mercy.
32:20The order was given, the machinery was already in motion and Pi-er, for the first time in a long time, felt completely and utterly alone and defeated, hugging her son under the shadow of an imminent and brutal separation.
32:327. The Dangerous Dance of Kuro and Angela
32:40The love between Kuro and Angela flourished in secret like a rare and beautiful flower that could only grow in the shadows.
32:46Every encounter was a risk, every glance shared in public a danger, but the intensity of their feelings was stronger than their fear.
32:57That night they met in the farthest corner of the garden, hidden by the embrace of an old oak tree and the complicity of the new moon.
33:08Quote
33:09We shouldn't be doing this, Angela whispered, although her hands searched for Kuro's in the darkness.
33:18If anyone sees us, let them see us, he replied, his voice vibrating with defiant passion.
33:24He cradled her face in his hands.
33:28I don't care.
33:29All I care about is being with you.
33:33Every second away from you is torture.
33:36They kissed.
33:37A kiss charged with the urgency of those who know their time is limited and stolen.
33:43It was a pure love, born against all odds, but surrounded by a web of interests and threats that loomed over them.
33:49The main spider in that web was Lorenzo, the captain of the bush.
33:57While the young people were secretly in love, he was having a very different conversation in the main hall with Leocatia, Angela's mother.
34:06Leocatia, my dear, we must talk about Angela's future, Lorenzo said, pouring her a glass of sherry.
34:12His tone was affable, almost paternal, but his eyes held a calculating gleam.
34:21Angela's future is assured, replied Leocatia, an ambitious woman who saw her daughter's marriage as an opportunity to advance socially.
34:31We will find the right suitor, a man of good family, composition.
34:35Precisely, and I think we should speed up the process, Lorenzo insisted.
34:43Youth is impulsive and Angela spends a lot of time with my nephew, Kuro.
34:49The mention of Kuro was deliberate, a stone thrown into the pond to see the ripples it caused.
34:55Quote.
34:56They are friends, they have grown up together, Leocatia said, although a shadow of unease crossed her face.
35:02Ah, the friendship between a man and a woman.
35:08A charming chimera, Lorenzo said with a sly smile.
35:13I am not saying there is anything inappropriate, I am only saying that people talk and a young woman's reputation is fragile.
35:21An arranged and publicly announced marriage would put an end to any malicious rumors.
35:28Lorenzo was playing a complex game of chess.
35:31On the one hand, he wanted to secure an advantageous marriage for Angela that would somehow benefit him.
35:39On the other, the possibility of a romance between her and Kuro was intriguing to him.
35:46It could be a lever, a weapon to be used at the right moment.
35:50He dropped his last and most poisonous insinuation.
35:53I've been watching Kuro lately.
35:58He seems different, distracted, as if his head were in the clouds, occupied by someone.
36:04And I've noticed the way he looks at your daughter.
36:07It's not the look of a simple friend, Leocatia.
36:11Believe me, the poison had an effect.
36:14Leocatia's unease turned to alarm.
36:16The idea that her daughter had become infatuated with a young man without a title or fortune like Kuro was a disaster for her plans.
36:25I will take immediate action, her tense voice said.
36:32Lorenzo smiled to himself.
36:35The seed of suspicion had been planted.
36:38He knew that Leocatia would increase her surveillance of Angela, making her encounters with Kuro even more difficult and dangerous.
36:44The net was tightening around the secret lovers.
36:50They were unaware that while they were swearing eternal love to each other under the stars, the pieces were moving against them on the board, pushing them towards an ending that seemed inevitably tragic.
37:02And so Thursday came to an end in the promise.
37:06A day of forced decisions, secrets about to explode, broken hearts and threatened loves.
37:14Night fell over the palace, but it did not bring peace.
37:18It only spread a dark cloak over the storms that would unleash their full fury with the first light of dawn.
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