- 17 hours ago
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00:02I'm Elena.
00:08I was found and brought back by my family at 18.
00:15Three years ago, I married Ricardo.
00:21Under the pretext of learning manners, my adoptive sister Sophia had Ricardo,
00:30and my brother Mateo take me to the Red Light District,
00:33where I lived a life worse than death.
00:42Today, they finally brought me home.
00:47I thought they had finally decided to let me go,
00:51but I never imagined that Sophia was set on my death.
00:56Elena, your family's here to pick you up.
00:59Have you fully learned the rules?
01:01Do you know what to say and what you're not supposed to say?
01:04Yes, Mom. I know all the rules clearly.
01:23Elena, after three years here, and you finally learned your place.
01:33If you hadn't refused to give up your position as the Donna to Sophia back then,
01:37I wouldn't have had the heart to send you here.
01:41Sophia has already given Ricardo an heir, but you'll always be my precious little princess.
01:49Thank you for your generosity, sir.
01:53Tonight, I'll surely satisfy you.
01:56What nonsense are you saying? I'm your brother!
02:00I'm sorry, sir. I misspoke. I'll slap myself right away.
02:04What the hell are you doing? Who are you putting on this act for?
02:07The madam said that if I displease a guest, I must slap myself until the guest is satisfied.
02:15Enough, Elena. As long as you don't cause trouble for Sophia and remember your place,
02:22I'll take you home.
02:28Thank you for your mercy, sir.
02:31I promise I won't cause Ms. Sophia any trouble.
02:42Elena, wipe that miserable look off your face.
02:45I don't want Sophia made uncomfortable by the way you're acting.
02:51Do I look happier now, sir?
02:57Let's go back. Don't keep Sophia waiting.
03:06Change your clothes as soon as we're back.
03:09Sophia just gave birth. She can't stand that stench of the streets on you.
03:13Yes, sir.
03:35Ricardo, brother. You're back.
03:42It's windy out here. Why did you come outside?
03:46I wanted to see Elena the moment she arrived.
03:50Sister, you're finally home.
04:11Elena pays her respects to the Dona and the young master.
04:23Ricardo, is Elena still angry with me? Does she blame me for giving you an heir?
04:29Elena, get up. This isn't the district.
04:33Don't bring those filthy acts back here.
04:36Mateo was furious.
04:38He thought I was beneath contempt.
04:40Low and shameful.
04:42I didn't quite understand.
04:43When Ricardo first sent me to the hospital,
04:46he personally told Madam to train me well.
04:50A full three years, and I became the lowest whore in that place.
04:54From defiant at first,
04:56to Madam's most obedient girl.
04:59I thought bringing me back meant he was finally satisfied with me.
05:03So why was he calling me filthy now?
05:10Look how rough your hands have become!
05:13You used to be...
05:15the most pampered little princess...
05:20in this family.
05:23How did you endure something like that?
05:28She brought it on herself.
05:32If she hadn't thrown her status around and made your life miserable,
05:35I never would have let Ricardo send her away.
05:38Elena, you better have really learned your lesson this time.
05:41Otherwise, I'll send you straight back.
05:45In the district.
05:47I was never allowed to eat at a table.
05:49When a client picked me,
05:51I could only lie at their feet.
05:53If they were in a generous mood,
05:55they might feed me a clean bite with their fork.
05:58But most of the time,
06:00I ate like a dog.
06:02Off whatever scraps they threw on the floor.
06:05Or the half-eaten leftovers they left behind on their plates.
06:09Plates I'd then have to kneel,
06:11and lick clean for their entertainment.
06:15Come sit down, and eat.
06:22What?
06:22What are you doing?
06:26Waiting for you to grant me something, sir.
06:29Sister, you don't have to do this.
06:31Even if you are not the Donna anymore,
06:33we're still family.
06:35The way you're acting,
06:37anyone would think we mistreated you.
06:40Unless you want to go back!
06:42Get up and sit in your seat!
07:14I had this steak made especially for you, sister.
07:17Your brother said you used to love it rare,
07:19so I asked the kitchen to prepare it just for you.
07:26Is it the steak that disgust is you?
07:31Or...
07:32is it me?
07:37I really used to love my steak rare.
07:41Not long after I first arrived at...
07:43the district,
07:44a client took a liking to me and promised to buy me out.
07:48He treated me to steak,
07:50and I thought I had finally been saved.
07:53Soon after I ate it,
07:54I realized he had drugged the steak.
07:57When I woke up again,
07:59several men were forcing themselves on me.
08:02From that day on,
08:03I never touched meat again.
08:07She doesn't eat blood.
08:08Hearing Ricardo speak up for me,
08:10I unconsciously let out a breath of relief.
08:14Just as I thought I wouldn't have to force down that sickening steak.
08:18Sophia spoke up and apologized to me,
08:21saying she'd simply misremembered.
08:24Seeing her upset,
08:26Matteo slammed his hand on the table,
08:28brows furrowed tight.
08:30Before either of them could react,
08:32I dropped to my knees and began apologizing.
08:36Trembling with fear,
08:37I pulled the steak toward me
08:38and started shoveling it into my mouth,
08:41and wolfed it down.
08:46Ricardo and Matteo watched me eat
08:48while begging for forgiveness at the same time.
08:50Both of them stunned.
08:52Sister, what are you doing?
08:54If you wanted brother's attention,
08:55you could have just talked to us properly.
08:57All this kneeling and bowing,
08:59it's so unsemely.
09:00See? Isn't she eating just fine?
09:03Brother, she only just came back.
09:04Please don't treat her like this.
09:06Sister, don't just eat meat either.
09:08You should pair it with some carbs, it's healthier.
09:17My hand froze just before I reached the bread.
09:20Then I looked at Ricardo.
09:22He remembered my peanut allergy.
09:25A single bite could make me stop breathing.
09:29Just when I thought this sickening dinner was finally ending,
09:33Sofia burst into tears.
09:36She said she only wanted a balanced meal for me,
09:39and it was the doctor's suggestion to try a tiny amount to build up my tolerance.
09:46Ricardo looked at her with suspicion.
09:48But Matteo spoke up, saying it was just a bit of peanut butter.
09:52If the doctor said it was fine, then it was fine.
09:55And I shouldn't disappoint Sofia's good intentions.
09:59I knew no one was on my side.
10:01So I took the peanut butter covered bread and bit down hard,
10:06chewing mechanically,
10:08swallowing, then taking another big bite.
10:12Matteo looked pleased,
10:13saying I'd learned well in those three years at...
10:17the district.
10:19Every one of my problems had been cured.
10:22But my throat was tightening,
10:24my breathing growing difficult,
10:26and blotchy patches were rapidly spreading across my skin.
10:32Still, I didn't dare stop.
10:34I kept eating the bread.
10:40Stop!
10:41Spit it out, now!
10:42You knew you were allergic and you ate it anyway.
10:45You did it on purpose!
10:48What are you trying to fool with this act?
10:51My vision had already begun to blur.
10:54Before everything went black,
10:57I heard Ricardo demanding an explanation from Sofia.
11:00His voice was sharp.
11:01He'd only asked her to have someone teach me manners.
11:04So why had I ended up me like this?
11:07Sofia cried,
11:09explaining she'd only wanted Madame to make me more obedient,
11:11so that Ricardo would trust her.
11:13In the last moment before I lost consciousness...
11:16Look into it.
11:17I want to know what happened to her during those three years in the district.
11:22I heard Ricardo giving an order to the butler.
11:29I opened my eyes.
11:31Ricardo and Mateo rushed to my side.
11:34Ricardo asked if I was feeling any better.
11:36Then he demanded to know why I hadn't said anything when I knew I was allergic to peanuts.
11:41He thought I was putting on a pathetic act.
11:43I wanted to explain that I wasn't faking,
11:45but when my mouth opened out,
11:47we're a fractic kurdi banang.
11:48We're a fractic jumble.
11:50I'm so sorry.
11:51I heard myself say.
11:52I wanted to explain that I wasn't faking.
11:54But when my mouth opened...
11:58I'm sorry.
11:59It's my fault.
12:01It won't happen again.
12:03Please don't punish me.
12:06Ricardo was about to call for the doctor,
12:08but Sofia came over and took my hand.
12:11Elena, wake up.
12:12Were you having a nightmare?
12:14She smiled gently, asking if I'd had a nightmare.
12:18Her hand was warm,
12:19but the moment she touched me,
12:21I shivered in fear.
12:23It felt as if a venomous snake had wrapped itself around me,
12:26slick and suffocating.
12:28She leaned closer and stroked my back,
12:31while secretly digging her nails deep into my arm.
12:34I didn't dare move.
12:36You'd better behave, you little bitch.
12:38Don't make me send you back.
12:40I stared with a blinding smile,
12:42the color draining from my face.
12:44Then I gave a small nod.
12:45Sister, our 25th birthday is in two days.
12:48You need to get better soon.
12:49Matteo and Ricardo didn't notice anything was wrong.
12:52They simply thought I'd finally learn to behave,
12:54so their expression softened.
12:56Good girl.
12:58Rest up properly here at the hospital.
13:04We'll throw you a big birthday banquet.
13:07Put the past behind us.
13:10Actually, it wasn't my birthday at all.
13:12It was Sofia's.
13:14We had been switched at birth,
13:15and I wasn't brought back to my real family until I was 18.
13:18That was why Matteo had always loved her more.
13:21She was the sister he had grown up with.
13:23I was the stranger who suddenly appeared.
13:26By coincidence, the day I came home was Sofia's birthday.
13:29My family decided that Sofia's birthday would also mark my rebirth.
13:33But every year, she was still the only one who mattered.
13:36Before I married Ricardo, I was merely allowed to share her birthday.
13:41Our family would throw her a lavish banquet.
13:44Once it was over, they would give me a single slice of cake.
13:48After I married Ricardo, he gave me a birthday of my own every year.
13:53Back then, he told me,
13:54Whatever other girls have, my girls should have too.
13:58You deserve to be the star of your own day.
14:01I'll never let you come second to anyone again.
14:03But this time, he said,
14:06You're both my women, and your birthdays fall on the same day.
14:10We'll celebrate together.
14:12Sofia volunteered to choose my gown.
14:14She promised Ricardo,
14:16Don't worry, I'll make my sister the most beautiful woman in the room.
14:36My body had just recovered when our birthday party arrived.
14:39Sofia kept her word.
14:40She put me in a beautiful mermaid gown.
14:43One even more striking than her own.
14:46Ricardo looked at me, an unusual light flickering in his eyes.
14:51The first time I saw you, you were just as beautiful as this.
14:54Lady Elena, may I have this dance?
14:56Just then, a spoiled young heir staggered towards us with a glass of champagne in his hand.
15:03Well, look who it is.
15:05Elena, the hottest girl in the district.
15:08The room suddenly fell silent.
15:11Even the music stopped.
15:12My face went pale.
15:13I didn't dare breathe.
15:17Haven't called on you in days.
15:19When did you manage to land yourself such a powerful patron?
15:30What the fuck are you talking about?
15:32You think I lied?
15:34Ask her yourself!
15:36Everyone in the district knows Elena's a whore.
15:38You'll strike any pose you want as long as the money's right!
15:47The entire room erupted.
15:50Countless contemptuous eyes turned towards me.
15:54Is he telling the truth?
15:55I nodded obediently.
16:00It's true.
16:01Madam said Doc Ricardo gave the order himself.
16:05Elena had to take the most clients.
16:07So she could learn the rules as quickly as possible.
16:10A collective gas swept through the room.
16:13Even Marteo turned toward Ricardo and Shash.
16:16How could you give an order like that?
16:17No matter what she did, she's still my own sister.
16:21All the color dreamt of Ricardo's face.
16:25Impossible.
16:27I never gave an order like that.
16:29I only told them to teach you your place!
16:31I stood there.
16:32Neither pleased nor grieved.
16:40His hand trembled as he reached for my hair.
16:44But Sofia suddenly spoke up.
16:47Sister, you can't just make up a lie like this to Shrain Ricardo, even if you hate me for taking
16:52Ricardo from you.
16:57Sofia accused me of having taken clients.
17:00Because I couldn't stand being alone and wanted to punish Ricardo by sleeping with other men.
17:06Now, she said, I was simply trying to pin the blame on him.
17:09Ricardo believed he had been made a fool of.
17:11In an instant, every trace of guilt vanished, replaced by fury.
17:16He kicked me down to the ground.
17:19I crashed into the champagne tower, and the liquor mixed with shattered glass poured all over me.
17:26You filthy bitch!
17:29You chose to degrade yourself, and now you dare blame me for it?
17:33Lock her up! No one lets her out without my permission!
17:38Then, he had me locked away.
17:42I curled up in the corner of the room.
17:45My soaked clothes clung to my skin, draining away what little warmth I had left.
17:53In my days, I was back in the district again.
17:59When I first arrived, I fought with everything I had.
18:03I warned them that if they dared lay a hand on me, Don Ricardo would have them killed.
18:10The Madam's answer was to have me whipped until I could barely move.
18:15Then, she locked me in the flooded cell.
18:19For three days and three nights.
18:22Only then did she tell me the truth.
18:24Who do you think sent you here?
18:28That was the moment my faith in Ricardo shattered.
18:31All I had done was ask him for a divorce.
18:34And he had answered, by sending me to hell.
18:38The cruelest part was that I had once truly loved him.
18:43When I was 22, the Lozano family faced a crisis so severe that it nearly brought the entire family down.
18:50At the time, Sofia was engaged to Ricardo.
18:53But she refused to marry him.
18:55Instead, she told my parents, Elena is the savior family's real daughter.
19:02She's the one who should marry him.
19:06My parents couldn't bear to let Sofia suffer.
19:11So they wanted to take our place and honor the engagement.
19:15We've both been abandoned.
19:20As long as you never betray me, I will be faithful to you for the rest of my life.
19:27And I'll do everything to protect you.
19:36Out of our shared pain, I slowly fell for him.
19:41I used everything I had learned in my life to help him survive the crisis.
19:46In the end, his family rose to a level even greater than mine.
19:51That, that was when Sofia regretted her choice.
19:54She went to Ricardo in tears, telling him that she was the one who was supposed to marry him.
20:00She claimed that because I was the true eldest daughter of the Seaver family,
20:04I had used our parents' guilt to steal the engagement that belonged to her.
20:09I thought Ricardo would never believe something so absurd.
20:12But that very day, he came to find me.
20:16Elena, everything between us was stolen by you from the start.
20:19Now that I know the truth, you need to return Sofia's rightful place as the Donna.
20:24I had too much pride to fight another woman over a man.
20:29So I took off the ring and asked him for a divorce.
20:33But Ricardo refused.
20:34He said, once I've been his woman, I don't get to marry anyone else.
20:38From now on, Sofia will be the Donna.
20:41And you can be my gonga.
20:44I'll still take care of you.
20:46The very idea was insulting.
20:48So I refused.
20:49It was Mateo who heard that I wanted a divorce.
20:52And came to take me home.
20:54On the way there, he handed me a bottle of water.
20:58When I opened my eyes again, I was in the district.
21:02And that was how my life in hell began.
21:12The door suddenly opened.
21:15Sofia stood before me, holding her son in her arms.
21:19Who would have thought the proud, unbreakable Elena would end up like this?
21:25Nothing but a bitch who wags her tail and begs.
21:30I told you from the beginning, you were never worthy of taking anything from me!
21:36I closed my eyes and said nothing.
21:38I was too exhausted.
21:39When she realized I was going to ignore her, something shifted in her eyes.
21:43She reached beneath her baby's blanket and pinched him hard.
21:45He immediately burst into tears.
21:47Then she shoved him into my arms and screamed.
21:53Sister, whatever you want, take it out on me!
21:55Please don't hurt my baby!
21:57Ricardo and Mateo rushed into the room.
21:59The moment Mateo saw the screaming baby in my arms, he slapped me across the face.
22:05You vicious woman!
22:07You'd even hurt a child?!
22:09You should have died in the district!
22:12Ricardo, however, looked at Sofia with suspicion.
22:15In my condition, I clearly didn't have the strength to hurt the baby.
22:20What happened?
22:23I had no strength left to explain myself.
22:25I listened as Sofia spouted nonsense in front of both of them,
22:29claiming I'd tried to strangle her child and curse that child as a bastard,
22:33saying I didn't know my place and even had the nerve to covet Ricardo.
22:37I watched Mateo fly into a rage again, hurling the most vicious curses at me,
22:42as if he wished I would drop dead on the spot.
22:44I closed my eyes calmly, thinking that dying might not be so bad after all.
22:49Seeing that I offered no defense, Ricardo finally lost all faith in me.
22:54It seems I've been far too lenient with you.
22:57You're not leaving until you admit you were wrong.
23:00Then they left, surrounding Sofia protectively as she cried,
23:04and I was left alone on the floor.
23:08One sentence kept echoing through my mind.
23:10You should have died in the district.
23:13Yes.
23:14Why didn't I?
23:16What was the point of staying alive anymore?
23:19Gathering the last of my strength, I forced myself to my feet.
23:22Then I climbed out the window.
23:28A maid's terrified scream shattered the silence of the estate.
23:32I forced my eyes open and saw Ricardo rushing out, desperate to lift me,
23:39yet terrified to touch my limbs,
23:43which were bent at unnatural angles.
23:50Elena, look at me!
23:52Don't close your eyes!
23:54Get a doctor! Call an ambulance, now!
24:03What are you trying to pull this time, Elena?
24:08A fall from the second floor isn't going to kill you.
24:13You tried to strangle a child?
24:16Now that you've been caught,
24:18you're threatening to kill yourself just to force us to forgive you?
24:24Three years in the district, and this is all you learned?
24:31Mateo, shut the hell up!
24:35The moment Mateo saw the blood covering the floor,
24:38he stopped dead in his tracks.
24:46I struggled for breath,
24:48watching the panic spread across their faces,
24:51and a twisted sense of satisfaction rose inside me.
24:56If I died right here, would they finally re-regret what they had done?
25:02How could there be this much blood?
25:10Outside the operating room,
25:12the tension in the hallway was suffocating.
25:15Mateo leaned against the cold wall,
25:17still trying to defend himself.
25:23It was only a fall from the second floor.
25:25She'll be fine, she's always been too proud.
25:27We only said a few harsh words,
25:30and she pulled this stunt to punish us.
25:32You really think she's faking this?
25:35Didn't you see how much blood she lost?
25:39What else could it be?
25:41She must have known the fall wouldn't kill her.
25:45But she miscalculated.
25:54Ricardo slammed his fist into the wall beside Mateo's face.
25:58For the first time, he realized something wasn't adding up.
26:03Sofia said Elena tried to kill the baby,
26:06and we believed every word she said?
26:10Elena was locked in a storage room,
26:12soap to the bone and too weak to even stand.
26:15How could she possibly have strangled that child?
26:20Sofia is so kind.
26:22You really think she'd hurt her own baby?
26:25Just to frame Elena?
26:29Before their argument could continue,
26:31the surgeon stepped out from the operating room,
26:34his expression grim.
26:35He pointed to each critical reading on the report,
26:38his voice deadly serious.
26:42She has three broken ribs,
26:44multiple ruptured organs,
26:46and severe internal bleeding.
26:49More importantly,
26:51she has suffered from extreme malnutrition for years.
26:55She also has dozens of old rip scars.
26:59Several of the wounds became repeatedly infected,
27:01and were never properly treated.
27:04In her current condition,
27:06her chance of surviving the operation is very low.
27:12Mateo shouted at the doctor,
27:14insisting it was impossible.
27:16Whip wounds? Malnutrition?
27:18There was no way any of it could be true.
27:20She was only sent to the district to learn her place.
27:23That district belongs to us.
27:25Who would dare lay a hand on her?
27:26The doctor had no answer for him.
27:29He simply held the pen out to Ricardo once more.
27:32Ricardo's hand trembled as he signed the emergency consent forms.
27:40Sir, as you ordered,
27:42we've uncovered everything Miss Elena experienced during those three years.
27:48This is the madam's statement.
27:50She confessed that Dona Sofia came to her three years ago,
27:54and ordered her to torment Miss Elena to death.
27:57That's bullshit!
27:59Sofia would never do something like that!
28:01Mateo, let him keep going.
28:05Donna's orders were explicit.
28:07Miss Elena was never given enough food.
28:09If she resisted, they were to strip her naked,
28:12and throw her into the flooded cell.
28:15Her exact words were,
28:17Dor Ricardo despises that woman.
28:20As long as she has enough breath left to take clients,
28:23do whatever you want to her.
28:27The butler pulled out a thick stack of yellowed records
28:30in front of Mateo and Ricardo.
28:32Every page was packed with names and dates.
28:35They listed every client I had been forced to take over the past three years.
28:40More than a dozen a day,
28:42often without even time to eat.
28:50And whenever I tried to rest,
28:52they locked me in a flooded cell and beat me.
28:55The madam said it was punishment for offending the wrong person.
28:59Ricardo stared at the photos of me.
29:01I was little more than skin and bone,
29:03submerged in filthy, foul-smelling water.
29:05My back was covered in criss-crossing whip wounds,
29:09infected and rotting.
29:10There was not a single patch of unbroken skin left.
29:13In some places,
29:14the flesh had turned black
29:16and fused to the torn clothes clinging to my body.
29:20Ricardo's vision went dark.
29:22Mateo grabbed the butler by the collar like a madman.
29:25They're fake!
29:26Every one of them is fake!
29:28Sophia wouldn't even step on an ant!
29:30She could never do something like that!
29:33The men under us must have abused Elena on their own!
29:40Mr. Mateo, this was taken during one of Sophia's monthly inspections of the district.
29:48Mateo stared blankly at Sophia in the photograph.
29:51The girl he had loved and protected since childhood.
29:54The girl he had always believed was the kindest and purest.
29:58She had watched with her own eyes as his sister was tortured to death.
30:02Both men stared in disbelief.
30:05Just then, a pediatrician hurried over with a medical report in hand.
30:11Don Ricardo, we found something unusual while examining the young ear.
30:15Are the marks Elena left worse than we thought?
30:17I knew that vicious woman hadn't learned a damn thing!
30:22No, sir.
30:23There's no way that the young heir's injuries were caused by Miss Elena.
30:28The wounds are deep, perfectly shaped cresses, with clean edges.
30:33They could only have been caused by long, hardened nails and considerable force.
30:39But Miss Elena's fingernails were torn out six months ago.
30:42What has grown back is soft, malformed nail tissue with no strength at all.
30:47There is no way her nails could have left marks like these.
30:51Mateo and Ricardo turned deathly pay, their bodies trembling with rage.
30:56Ricardo lost control and roared, demanding to know who had torn out my fingernails.
31:01Sir, the madam confessed.
31:03When Miss Elena first arrived, she refused to serve a client and scratched him.
31:08Donna Sophia ordered them to rip out her nails and forbid her from ever growing them long again.
31:16The doctor continued.
31:17He said they found red nail polish on the skin beneath the child's nails.
31:22Sophia was the only person on the estate wearing that color.
31:27At those words, the maid trembling behind the butler collapsed to her knees and begged for mercy.
31:37Ricardo hauled her to her feet and demanded to know what she had seen.
31:47This afternoon, Donna Sophia ordered me to carry the young master to Miss Elena's room.
31:53I stayed side the door and heard her taunting Miss Elena, telling her to look at herself, reduced to living
32:01like a dog.
32:05Miss Elena ignored her, so Donna Sophia dug her nails into the boy's neck.
32:12The moment he cried, she shoved him into Miss Elena's arms and screamed for help.
32:20Don Ricardo, I swear on my life, every word is true.
32:26Ricardo threw the maid aside, his chest rising and down violently.
32:32In that moment, every lie fell apart.
32:35Mattiello sank to the floor and covered his face with both hands.
32:39He had driven his already broken sister to the brink of his own hands.
32:44All while protecting a demon, he had mistake for an angel.
32:48Bring her to me, now.
32:53Sophia still had no idea how serious the situation had become when she was brought to the hospital.
32:58The moment she saw Ricardo, she burst into tears and asked how I was doing.
33:03Feinding innocence, she said that I shouldn't have tried to take my own life, no matter how much I hated
33:08him.
33:08However, Ricardo walked up without a word and slapped her across the face.
33:12The blow sent Sophia crashing to the floor.
33:14Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth as she stared up at him in disbelief.
33:20Ricardo, are you crazy? Why did you hit me?
33:23Ricardo hurled the stained client schedules and the photograph straight into her face.
33:27The paper scattered around her like snow.
33:29The moment she saw what was on there, the tearful mask on her face cracked.
33:33She said she had no idea what any of these, while Matteo threw the doctor's injury report down in front
33:36of her.
33:37How much longer are you going to keep lying?
33:39You dug your nails onto your own son's neck, then shoved him into Elena's arms to frame her.
33:44You even had Elena's fingernails ripped out. How could she possibly have left those marks?
33:49Faced with evidence she could no longer explain away, Sophia knew she had been completely exposed.
33:55Then, without warning, she let out a cold, chilling laugh.
33:58So what if I did? If I hadn't gotten rid of her, what was I supposed to do if your
34:02old feelings for her came back?
34:04How else was I supposed to secure my place? And why are you pretending to care now?
34:09Didn't both of you allow this to happen? Everyone knew what that district was.
34:13Did you really think it was some decent place? You threw her in there for three years!
34:18Never asked a single question and never once went to see her!
34:23Sophia's words cut straight through them, because every word was true.
34:27It had been her idea, but Ricardo and Matteo were the ones who sent me away.
34:31The husband I loved, and the brother whose love I craved, they were just as responsible for my suffering as
34:37she was, if not more.
34:38Matteo's face burned with shame and rage. He slapped Sophia so hard her lips split, called her a vicious snake.
34:45You watched her suffer for three years and never cared. Now that she's dying, suddenly your hearts are breaking?
34:54Ricardo, do you really think Sophia gave up the engagement for Elena's sake?
34:58Back then, the Lanzano family was on the brink of collapse, and your enemies could have come after you at
35:02any moment.
35:03Sophia was terrified that marrying you would drag her down.
35:06She locked herself in her room and refused to come out until our parents made Elena take her place.
35:10Then you survived the crisis, and came back more powerful than ever!
35:16The moment she saw you on top again, she started turning you against Elena, claiming Elena had lied and stolen
35:21the engagement from her!
35:23One truth after another unraveled before Ricardo. He had always believed he saw through everything.
35:28He thought he was punishing a woman who had betrayed him, never realizing that he had sent the only woman
35:33who truly loved him straight into hell.
35:35Send her to the same district where Elena was held. Tell the madam to put her through everything Elena endured.
35:41Ten times over. A hundred times over.
35:44And without my permission, she is not allowed to die.
35:50Let it go! Let it go!
35:54Sophia's screams and curses faded down the corridor, until they disappeared completely.
35:59Once she had been taken away, Ricardo and Mateo stood there, like two empty shells.
36:05At last, the red light above the operating room went dark.
36:10The surgeon stepped out, his face covered in sweat.
36:14He said they managed to save me, but I was still in critical condition.
36:18Only then did both men release the breaths they had been holding.
36:23I did not wake up for another two weeks.
36:26The moment the door to my care room opened, Ricardo and Mateo rushed inside.
36:32Their faces filled with wild relief, but the instant I saw them, every painful memory came flooding back.
36:40I scrambled out of bed.
36:42My broken leg gave way beneath me, so I crashed heavily onto the floor.
36:47Yet I barely felt the pain tearing through my wounds.
36:50I dropped my knees on the cold tile, and slammed my forehead against the floor.
36:56Ricardo froze. The pain in his chest was so intense, that he could barely breathe.
37:01Please don't hit me, sirs!
37:04I'll be good! I'll do whatever position you want!
37:09Please, don't rip out my nails!
37:12Elena, I was wrong. Please, don't do this.
37:15There won't be any more clients!
37:18I swear, I'll never let anyone hurt you again!
37:21The moment his hand touched me, I let out a hysterical scream.
37:26I grabbed a shard from the broken glass, and slashed it across my arm without hesitation.
37:31Blood poured from the wound. I held the shard out toward them in warning.
37:35I'm filthy! Don't touch me! I still smell like that place!
37:41You'll be disgusted by me! Please! Stay away from me!
37:46The machines erupted into piercing alarms.
37:51Doctors and nurses flooded into the room.
37:59They forced me back onto the bed, and injected me with a sedative.
38:07The attending doctor fiercely ordered Ricardo and Mate out of the room.
38:12Her psychological trauma has pushed her to a complete breakdown!
38:16Take one more step towards her!
38:18Trigger another act of self-harm, and she may never recover!
38:23He had spent half his life as a man no one dared defy.
38:29Now, he had lost even the right to approach his own wife.
38:36Mateo slapped himself again and again until blood ran from the corner of his mouth.
38:44To save my life, Ricardo spent a fortune bringing in the best trauma specialists in the country.
38:51They strictly forbade both Ricardo and Mateo from entering my line of sight.
38:57For six full months, they worked to rebuild my sense of safety.
39:02Little by little, they helped me bury those three years of agony deep inside my mind.
39:09Ricardo moved his office into the hospital, and watched me through the glass every day.
39:15Mateo set aside all family business, and followed the chef around each day.
39:20Learning to cook the dishes I had once loved.
39:26At first, the moment I touched anything they sent me, my entire body would begin to shake.
39:34Whenever they tried to say even a single word to me through the interpond,
39:38I would frantically search the room for a corner to hide in.
39:42The doctors warned them not to expect forgiveness anytime soon.
39:46Six months later, my emotions finally began to settle.
39:50I stopped screaming.
39:51I stopped slapping myself.
39:53Mateo would sometimes come and tell me what had happened outside the hospital.
39:58My parents had learned what Sofia had done and expelled her from the Savi family,
40:02but they were still abroad and could not come to see me right away.
40:06He also told me that Sofia was now living the same life I once had.
40:10Every day, he and Ricardo sent men to supervise her punishment.
40:14She was suffering a hundred times more than I ever had.
40:17I listened in silence.
40:19I never answered him.
40:21Sofia was evil, but were Ricardo and Mateo really any less responsible?
40:25After my final psychological evaluation, the doctor left my room with a satisfying expression.
40:32He nodded to Ricardo and Mateo, who had been waiting anxiously in the corridor.
40:38Don Ricardo, Miss Elena's condition has improved significantly.
40:43She no longer shows severe self-harming tendencies and can now communicate normally.
40:48She's remarkably strong.
40:52Ricardo and Mateo were so overwhelmed that their hands began to tremble.
40:58For months, they had humbled themselves before me, sending me the most luxurious clothes and jewelry,
41:05desperately trying to make up Gantt for those three years.
41:08Just the day before, I had smiled faintly at a bouquet of sunflowers they sent.
41:14That tiny smile became the lifeline they clung to.
41:17They thought we still had a chance to start over.
41:20The next morning was bright and sunny.
41:22Ricardo deliberately wore the dark navy suit that was once my favorite.
41:27Mateo had carefully styled his hair and carried a fresh bouquet of lilies.
41:34Filled with hope, they opened the door to my room, ready to take me back to the estate.
41:40Ricardo spoke carefully, his voice almost pleading.
41:44Elena, it's beautiful outside.
41:47We've come to take you home.
41:50But I wasn't sitting by the bed waiting for them like they had imagined.
41:55Dressed in a plain white shirt and jeans,
42:00I stood calmly by the window with a small suitcase in hand.
42:10The smile on Ricardo's face instantly froze.
42:17And the flowers nearly slipped from Mateo's grasp.
42:20Perfect timing, I was just about to leave.
42:22Where are you going besides our home? Sofia is gone.
42:24From now on, you'll be the only Donna of the estate.
42:27You'll never have to answer to anyone again.
42:30Every decision will be yours.
42:33Elena, I've transferred every asset and every share I own into your name.
42:37I was blind before.
42:39From now on, even my life belongs to you.
42:43Please, can we start over?
42:46I'm done being a whore.
42:48I want to feel human again.
42:50No one will ever make you do that again.
42:52From now on, you'll be our only girl.
42:54But if I go back, every time I look at you,
42:57all I'll see are the rats from that flooded cell.
43:01And the stench of sweat on those clients.
43:07My words tore apart the fragile peace they had tried to build over everything they had done.
43:12Ricardo broke down.
43:14The once untouchable Don dropped to his knees and clung to my legs without a shred of dignity.
43:20Elena, I'm sorry.
43:21I know I was wrong.
43:23Let me spend the rest of my life making it up.
43:25Please.
43:30Please stay.
43:31Give us one more chance.
43:33Please!
43:33I stood there quietly, waiting until Matteo finally stopped hitting himself.
43:38Until Ricardo's sobs gradually faded.
43:41Do you know how the doors to the district opens?
43:43As long as a client paid, those doors were always open.
43:46Every day I was laid out like a piece of meat on a butcher's block to be chosen.
43:50Do you really think beautiful clothes and expensive jewelries can make me forget that feeling?
43:55Ricardo slowly released my pant leg, his entire body trembling.
44:00If you're truly sorry and want to make it up to me, then just let me go.
44:06I looked into their eyes and gave them my last word.
44:10Don't make me hate you guys.
44:15Ricardo's hand slipped from my clothes.
44:17His shoulders collapsed.
44:19When I still showed no reaction, he finally gave up.
44:25He pulled a bank card from his pocket and placed it on top of my suitcase.
44:29The password is your birthday.
44:31Take it with you.
44:32Go wherever you want.
44:33Do whatever you please.
44:34Elena, at least send word once a year just so we know you're safe.
44:38Can you?
44:38I placed the card in my pocket and pulled my suitcase out of the room.
44:43Neither of them followed.
44:44I boarded a train heading south.
44:47I went to the farthest city I could find and rented a small house with a yard.
44:50Then I found a job as a kindergarten teacher.
44:54No more drinking.
44:55No more flooded cell.
44:57No more beatings.
44:59Every day I only had to do a few simple things.
45:02Teaching children to sing.
45:03Helping them wash their hands.
45:05Braiding the little girl's hair.
45:07These kids always smelled like clean soap.
45:09When they were unhappy, they'd just cry.
45:12When they were happy, they'd wrap their arms around my legs.
45:15I locked the black card inside a tin box.
45:18On the first day of every month, I received another enormous transfer.
45:22I never touched a single cent.
45:24I bought groceries and paid my rent with the money I earned myself.
45:28I even adopted a kitten.
45:30She was adorable.
45:31A year passed.
45:33As promised, I sent Mateo a text.
45:35Tell him I'm still alive.
45:37His reply came almost instantly.
45:39Elena, the Sabi and Lanzana families have been under attack for the past year.
45:43We're on the verge of collapse.
45:44Take care of yourself out there.
45:45And don't come back.
45:46I smiled, because I had seen this coming.
45:50After all, one year before I left, I had personally sent both families' most closely guarded secrets to their enemies.
45:57I tossed my phone onto the table without replying.
46:00I had promised my kids homemade cookies on Monday.
46:03It was time to start baking.
46:04That's not the answer here's not done.
46:05It's time to get a good idea.
46:05You are trying to raise one.
46:06You're gonna have a good idea.
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