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 heaMarta 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
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
Everyone thinks that being the heiress of a wealthy family makes you happy. In their minds, they create a wonderful fantasy life that, in my case, is far from reality. Despite being the sole heiress of one of the most powerful families in my country—not only to my parents but also to my grandfather Santiago Sardino, a feared mafia millionaire—I am the most miserable person imaginable since I can remember.In the numerous novels I've read, rich children like me are always portrayed as petulant, conceited, and doing whatever they want without caring about anything. They face their parents without fear. I assure you that's not my case; I'm quite the opposite. My mother made sure of that, and now I find myself trapped in this miserable life they've imposed on me.It's been over six months since I've been living this arranged marriage charade. So far, I have no complaints. My fake husband, Luis, barely spends time at home. I'm immersed in my studies and visit my grandparents every day afte
I look at him with hatred, feeling a lump in my throat from the helplessness of the situation and my inability to act. He turns around and heads for the stairs, leaving me alone and in pain on the floor. Tears of frustration run down my cheeks, but I try to pull myself together and stand up. Suddenly, he turns and shouts at me from above."Bella, you're not a woman, you're too ugly! You have terrible taste in clothes! You're horrible! Your body is pathetic! It's embarrassing for me to walk arm in arm with you and introduce you as my wife! You know why I married you!" he spits out all that venom with rage.I can't believe what just happened. Luis hasn't just hurt me with his words; he's hit me. Although I try to stay strong, it deeply hurts to know that he doesn't value me as a person. This situation has opened my eyes to a reality I've been avoiding for a long time.Since childhood, I've always felt the pressure to please my parents and maintain the appearance of a perfect family. But
With my head resting on the steering wheel, I cry until a memory comes to mind, as if God had enlightened me. I remember the apartment my grandfather gave me in the city center many years ago, I think when I turned sixteen; it was my birthday present. I remember it as if it were yesterday: he took me secretly from home and led me there with such mystery to give it to me. "Nobody knows about its existence, just you and me," he told me.The happiness that fills me is enormous. I search through my purse and find the address and, on my keyring, the key that opens it. I look up the location on my phone, which immediately plots the route; it's not that far. I drive there. Upon arrival, I have to show my ID at the entrance because the doorman is new and doesn't know me. Well, I suppose the previous one wouldn't have known me either; I only came that one time when Grandfather brought me. I could never come back because they wouldn't let me out.The doorman keeps glancing at me. I've let my ha
She observes me with satisfaction and leaves. I open the bag reluctantly to find an extremely short dress that barely covers my thighs. I try it on; it's beautiful, but my breasts almost spill out of the neckline.I'll never wear something like this! What was Mom thinking buying me clothes that look more suitable for a woman of the night? No, I definitely won't wear such a garment, even if she gets furious!After my mother leaves, and having seen how the dress fits, I search through my wardrobe until I find an outfit my grandmother gave me for my birthday. It's pale pink; I try it on. It fits perfectly! Above all, I feel comfortable in it: nothing to be ashamed of or worried about men's leering looks throughout dinner.Dressed like this, I stay in my room until they're all in the car honking and calling for me. I run out and quickly get in. Since they're running late, they don't make me go back to change. My mother spends the entire journey berating me. I put my headphones on and focu
I look at the smiling lady in front of me, her image comes to my mind for an instant from when they used to visit my house before I was sent to school."I..." I don't know what to say, the words catch in my throat. "I... I..." I stammer. What are they doing here?"Don't pretend you don't remember Luisito, darling," my mother says in her fake voice. I look at her but say nothing. "You haven't stopped talking about him all these years."What? Why is my mother telling such a lie? I had never remembered him until today, I hate him!"Isabella," Dad speaks, "you said a moment ago that you remembered him."I look at Dad, not understanding what he's saying. Was that what I said yes to? Of course I remember Luis well! He was that hateful boy who always made me cry, forcing me to do things I didn't want to do. I've hated him all my life; he used to follow me everywhere and hit me when no one was watching. Then he'd manage to make me take the blame for everything he did. How could I forget? I th
I remain paralyzed, staring at them, unable to believe what they are saying. I look at Luis, who smiles like an angel, accepting everyone's congratulations while holding one of my hands in his and kissing me from time to time. And suddenly, he kneels before me and shows me, with his cynical smile, an engagement ring."Bella, since we were children, you have been a fascination to me, and you still are. As you promised me back then when you confessed your love, I have waited all these years for you. Because I have also loved you all my life and I intend to continue doing so. Thank you for accepting me as the man who will make you happy for all eternity," Luis says while placing the ring on my finger, amid everyone's applause. He doesn't even ask if I accept him, he takes it for granted. I feel trapped, unable to react or say a word. I can't find words to express my desperation; I remain frozen and at a loss for what to say. I know I can't voice my opinion; it has always been this way.
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
The doctor walked away, leaving Christian a bit more at ease. When he reached the door, Christian noticed some unfamiliar guards who greeted him with a nod before closing it, telling him not to leave until they gave him the all-clear."Can you tell me what's happening?" Christian inquired, concerned."A patient has disappeared," they informed him."A patient? Do you know who it is?" he asked curiously."Adele, your ex-fiancée," the guard replied."Adele?" Christian questioned and immediately surmised, "Surely the little prince, the Sultan Nestor's son, took her.""No, it wasn't him. He's searching for her with his father," the guard corrected him.A few hours earlier, Adele's father had been shouting at reception alongside Nestor. Mr Thompson's men, who had previously caught him, had released him. Upon returning, he received a call from Nestor, who had attempted, along with Oswaldo and Eva in disguise, to abduct Adele in a helicopter