Meanwhile, at the hospital, Christian's operation finally concluded, and he was moved to the recovery room. The doctor came out to speak with Mr Thompson, who had returned as soon as he had secured his company offices and alerted the police about Néstor, whom his daughter had called to say was at the entrance of their house, prompting her to notify the authorities.
"Well, doctor? How did it go? Did you manage to remove the tumour from my son? Will he recover? Will he lose his sight? Why did it take so long?" Mr Thompson bombarded him with questions."We took much longer because we discovered that from his accident, he had a small tear in the pituitary gland," the neurosurgeon explained patiently. "This created a sac that hardened and turned into that small tumour. Thankfully, it's nothing malignant; it wasn't even a tumour, strictly speaking.""What do you mean by that, doctor? How was it not a tumour? What was it then?" Thompson asked anxiously."Mr ThompMany believe that having all material possessions in life is the most important thing. However, it's only when we truly lose what gives our existence meaning that we understand how important these things are, and what we're capable of doing to have them back.Santiago had managed to get the small yacht, which had been fiercely battling against one of the miscreants' vessels, to join him. Upon seeing their companions retreat after their leader's boat crashed and sank, the attackers had left them alone and headed towards the coast. Now, Santiago was desperately scouring the sea, trying to locate the life raft carrying his daughters and grandchildren, along with two men his father had sent.The storm hadn't yet subsided, and the waves were enormous, making it nearly impossible to spot anything in the distance amidst the darkness. Nevertheless, he didn't give up and continued on the course his men had indicated while trying to contact his father."Boss,
Mr Thompson looked at Adele, scarcely able to believe she was there in the hospital. She was heavily disguised, almost unrecognisable. She smiled at him nonchalantly as she pulled out a cigarette."Put that out. You can't smoke in here," he scolded her sternly. "Why didn't you answer when I called, and how did you know I was here?""Did you think I wouldn't follow you after you made me leave your house the way you did?" Adele asked, relishing her ex-father-in-law's surprised expression. "How's Christian? What happened to him?""He's just had surgery for a brain tumour," Mr Thompson replied curtly."Really?" Adele was astonished, not having believed he was truly ill."Yes. Let's go to the cafeteria to discuss what we're going to do. I don't want anyone seeing you talking to me here and telling my wife something that isn't true," Mr Thompson instructed, standing up. "Besides, Christie might show up, and you certainly w
Gradually, they dragged him across the beach, placing him beneath the raft on top of some nylon bags. Together, they retrieved the first-aid kit and, as best they could, extracted the bullet, stitched the wound, and bandaged it."I'll go and see if I can find some branches, even if they're wet. We need to start a fire," said Marta, deeply concerned. "Watch the children, Bella. They're turning blue. We must heat some water and give it to them.""All right, don't go too far," Isabella requested as she began massaging the children to try and warm them up."Take the gun and shoot without hesitation," Marta said, placing a weapon next to Isabella, who looked at it terrified. "It's for your children's lives, Bella.""How do you know all this, Marta?" Isabella asked, truly impressed by Marta's survival skills."Don't forget, I lived on the streets for a long time, and then in an orphanage. We had to learn to survive," Marta replied, covering
The Sardino patriarch had been searching tirelessly throughout the area between his wife's island and the mainland, without any result. He had deployed the entire fleet of yachts from his shipping company and his son's, as well as the coast guard, to search the entire area where he believed they might be. However, he was far from knowing that his beloved family members were in the opposite direction, far from where he was searching.The storm was intensifying, raising serious waves and endangering the lives of all those searching in the small yachts. With a heavy heart, he ordered everyone to return to port, doing so himself with his enormous yacht and heading home with sorrow in his heart, thinking he had lost his dear son, two granddaughters, two great-grandchildren, as well as many men who had been loyal to him for years.The first thing he saw when he arrived at his house under torrential rain was that his usual guards were all deployed, and upon entering the liv
Luis, realising that Adele had disappeared, re-entered the hospital and went to speak with the security guards. He explained what he believed had happened, which led them to take him to view the car park security cameras. Indeed, he saw her being hit on the head and stuffed into a car boot, managing to catch the number plate. He asked the head of security to report her disappearance, then left, trying to locate Eva without success. "What am I going to do now?" he wondered.He was stopped at a traffic light when he felt someone open the door. To his surprise, he saw his father getting into the car, violently striking him."You degenerate son of a bitch! How could you do this to me?" Oswaldo asked his son, who replied:"I don't know what you're talking about, Dad! I haven't done anything to you. Can't you see the car I'm driving? I'm trying to find where my wife and my mother have gone with the child, and I don't have any money!" He immediately i
Life isn't fair enough to those who are good people and don't see the evil in the people around them, who only approach them to take advantage of their innocence and their way of seeing things. This was the case with Susan, who despite everyone warning her about Eva, never felt that she was taking advantage of her kindness and still doesn't believe it.For her, Eva is the friend who helped her in the most difficult moments of her life and accompanied her, and to whom she holds a fond memory despite having no idea who she might be. Sitting next to her mother, she peacefully knits a beautiful garment. They listen to the rain hitting hard against the windows and the wind making noises as it brushes against the house walls due to the violent gusts brought by the enormous storm."This cyclone approaching us is terrible, it's been a long time since we've had one like this," her mother mentions while continuing to knit."I don't like how the wind makes noise in the wal
Luis immediately tells her that he will come for her. That he's leaving now, but it's far away. It will take him at least an hour to get there."Keep running and hiding as much as you can, and call me as soon as you can again, I'm on my way. Don't let your heartless father catch you again."The woman tells Adele that if she crosses behind her house she will come out at a petrol station, where she can surely find something to take her to the city as soon as possible. Although she is scared, she does it, running through the dark field until she reaches the lights of the road. She sits for a while hidden behind a bush crying, because she knows that if she comes out there, they will surely locate her, so she decides to wait for time to pass until Luis is as close as possible to go down to the petrol station and call him to tell him where she is.She can't believe that her father was capable of kidnapping her again with that intention. How far will he use her i
Santiago is at a loss for what to do to keep his daughters and grandchildren warm, he did everything he could to further beach the yacht in the sand and ordered the anchor to be dropped and the boat to be tied to the nearest rocks and trees."Boss, the tide is still rising, I think it's a hurricane.""You guys make sure the ropes stay tight as the tide rises." He orders very worried when he sees the height of the waves."Yes, sir." His second replied, going to carry out the order.He has tucked Lucas and Lucia into his body, inside the coat wrapped with thermal blankets, and lay down with Bella, sending two more sailors to continuously place warm clothes on their stomachs. Finally, he sees his daughters beginning to wake up."Dad?" Isabella reacts first. "Dad, is that you and the kids?""Thank heavens, thank heavens!”he exclaims excitedly. “How are you feeling? The kids, look at them here, they're breathing well and waking up, Ma
Christian sat in the doctor's office, waiting for news on Isabella's condition. His brother-in-law, Dr. David, sat beside him, having already prepared their home for Isabella's return. David would be personally taking care of her.Finally, the doctor emerged, accompanied by the hospital director. They greeted Christian and David, settling down with serious expressions."Well, doctor, can I take my wife home or not?" Christian asked impatiently."Before I answer that, Christian, I need to ask you some questions. There's something about your wife that we can't understand," the doctor said, looking at the hospital director who was shifting nervously."What do you mean, doctor? Is something wrong with Bella?" Christian asked, visibly frightened."Her vital signs are all normal," the doctor began, nervously shuffling some papers in his hands. "However, in the latest test results we ran to clear her for discharge, we found something we don't know how to analyse."
They instinctively approach Susan and surround her as if protecting her from the world, while Susan looks at Santiago very scared. Mrs. Tania looks at her son and hurries to say."And your parents too, Susi, would come with you, that mansion is huge. Maybe if Bella hears us all around her, she'll be encouraged to wake up.""It's a good idea, Susi!" her father chimes in. "That way we can see our great-grandchildren all the time and you'll form a relationship with them. We'll go with you and Santiago will be by your side all the time, nothing will happen to you, darling, and you'll take care of your daughter, she needs you by her side.""Yes, Susi, Bella will surely be happy when she finds out you're her mum." Santiago says, excited to be able to live with her."Do you really think so, Santi? Do you think my daughter won't blame me for not knowing how to look after her and letting Eva steal her from me?" Susan asks anxiously.On the other hand, Rodrigo
Marta observes Susan who looks at her excitedly as if she were really her biological daughter as Bella is, from whom she feels she is stealing all those moments. So she feels disconcerted."Oh, God!" exclaims Susan, excited, and steps forward to hug and kiss her. "This is miraculous, I have another daughter. When Santi told me he had adopted you, I was filled with joy and I'd love it if you called me Mum if you don't mind. If not, that's fine, I'll treat you like a daughter, and look, these would be your grandparents. Mum, Dad, don't you think she looks like Santi and me too?""That's right, daughter, that's right. Nice to meet you, Martita, this one here is your maternal grandmother from today onwards," Susan's mother steps forward. "Here, I brought you a gift, I'm a bit confused, are you Isabel or Marta?""Isabel was the name my parents gave me, but then I changed it to Marta. Dad, he's the only one, well, and now my boyfriend Rodrigo, who calls me Isa," explains Ma
Yes, you saved me, Bella. You insisted that I go to work at your apartment, and that's when I realised how well you were looked after, that you had visible and hidden bodyguards, that if I stayed by your side, nothing would happen to me. Forgive me for taking advantage of you in that way and putting you in danger.That's why I stayed to live with you, and you can't imagine how happy I was when your grandparents accepted me and did everything for me. I don't know how Grandpa realised they were following me, but do you know what he did? He put security guards on me too! Can you believe it? Me, an orphan he'd just met, just because you wanted me by your side, he started looking after me!You wouldn't believe how much I hated those rich girls who thought they were better than everyone else, but you weren't like that. You're so different, Bella, that I started to love you from that moment on because it wasn't just a whim of yours. You truly loved me. I was hea
Adele looks at her mother really surprised by what she has just told her, she never imagined that Christie Thompson would help her in this way."She won't want you near her brother because of what you did, but she also doesn't want you to suffer the fate your father had imposed on you by selling you to that guy who was surely going to put you in his harem or auction you off in a brothel in his country. I'm truly grateful that she called me to save you," her mother said very seriously. Then, with a smile, she asked, "How are you feeling? Does it hurt much?""A bit when I move. How long has it been?" she asked, looking at her healed wounds.Her mother looked at her with pity and told her that she had been in that situation for almost two months. They had kept her asleep the whole time because they were travelling from one place to another, hiding her. Besides, there was something she had to tell her, and now that she knew she had a son, she thought it was the right time
On the other hand, in an imposing house, Adele finally opened her eyes and looked around, not recognising anything about the place where she was. A nurse, seeing her, came to check on her, then ran out and returned with a lady. She stood at the door, looking at Adele with adoration and a little fear."Mum? You're my mum, aren't you?" she asked, still unable to believe it, then agitatedly asked, "Luis! Where is Luis, Vivian and the child?""I don't know anything about that, darling. Who are they? Who did this to you?" her mum asked in turn."Can you give me a phone, mum, please?" Adele asked anxiously."Yes, yes, take mine. Who are you going to call?" she asked, interested."My husband, to find out about my son," Adele said confidently as she dialled Luis's number."Son? Do you have a son, Adele?" her mother asked, astonished, knowing nothing about it."Yes, I have a son with Luis Ibañez, who is my husband!" she affirmed vehemently."Whe
After Adele disappeared from the hospital, and after trying to find her in all the possible places her father and Eva knew, without success, they decided to leave for a while to take the heat off him and because he had to return to his country to meet his father's demands. He took Eva and Oswaldo with him, who believed the story that those who had shot Luis, Vivian, the child, Adele and the others, had been Santiago's men in their attempt to save them.They dedicated all their time to creating a plan to get revenge and take over everything from the Thompsons and, if possible, the Sardinos. In other words, Eva and Oswaldo's plan hadn't changed, although they were now sharing it with the arrogant prince, who was furious because for the first time in his life, he had encountered someone who didn't bow to his power.After Eva presented all the evidence suggesting that Mr. Thompson had kidnapped Susan and kept her hidden in a psychiatric clinic for years after rapin
Santiago, while talking to Christian, busied himself checking on and comforting his daughter, feeling a great pain in his chest and a profound helplessness for not having prevented this accident by not catching Eva sooner. He kissed Isabella on the forehead and turned to answer his son-in-law's question."No sign of her, I think she went to Malaysia with the little prince." Seeing Christian's expression of despair, he quickly added, "But don't worry too much, we have a plan to dismantle all of this.""What plan?" Christian asked, letting out a sigh. Like his own father-in-law, he felt utterly gutted by what had happened."With your real mother-in-law, the one they call Susan, my Susi, the one your father tried to steal from me," Santiago explained with a happy expression."I understand now, she's very beautiful, like my Bella. And she seems as lovely as her, I understand why my father wanted to take her away, my father-in-law," Christian said, not taking hi
Christian gently kissed the sleeping Isabella, sighed when he saw that she made no move. So he continued talking to himself. "My first mistake was not searching for you after my father separated us when we were children. I could have written to you, informed you, told you that I loved you more than anyone in the world. That the hundreds of times I said we'd marry when we were adults and I wouldn't let anyone hurt you, I meant it truly. And I came back, Bella, I did," Christian continued his monologue. "I returned for you; it was the first thing I did when we came back to this country. I came like a madman to find you, but I arrived too late. You were marrying Luis Ibáñez." A sob escaped Christian as he remembered that day, one of the most painful he had ever experienced, watching as he lost his beloved Isabella. "That was my second great mistake," he confessed, his voice breaking. "Not seeing in your eyes that it was a farce. Even when I followed you to Paris li