A couple of days later, Libia stared at her phone screen, reading Lison's message over and over again:"I'm doing everything I can to come back this week."It wasn’t the most romantic message someone had ever written to her, but at least it showed that he wanted to see her again. On the other hand, Elena Musso hadn’t stopped bombarding her with threatening calls and messages:“Don’t think you’re going to get away with this. Tell your lover he’d better be ready because I’m going to have him arrested.”Libia shook her head. She didn’t want any more fights, so as long as she stayed away from her aunt, everything would be fine.That afternoon, she received a visit from Natalia, who seemed quite uneasy. Without realizing it, Libia had been going through periods of isolation. According to her therapist, this was normal for people who had been through the trauma of being deprived of their freedom. Still, Rodríguez didn’t want to wait for her friend’s state to worsen.“Hey, sorry for not tell

Libia blinked several times, thinking her friend had to be joking."What are you talking about?" she asked with a laugh."I saw them leave your aunt's office. I asked Patricia, and it turns out the Brazilian is a regular Don Juan," Natalia said sarcastically. "He's been sending her flowers and chocolates. There are men who are interested, and then there's that guy.""He didn’t tell me he was back," Libia said, trying to find a lie in Natalia’s words."Libia, I *saw* him. It wasn’t an illusion.""My aunt receives gifts from lots of people. It doesn’t have to be from him."Natalia sighed, feeling like she was talking to a wall."You know what? Forget it," she said indignantly, ending the call.Libia stared at her phone, stunned. What she had with Tiodor wasn’t formal, but still, there were basic rules—like not getting involved with your lover’s aunt. Natalia had no reason to lie. After snapping out of her shock, she tried calling Lison. One, two, three, seven calls—no answer. With tear-

“Natalia Rodríguez,” she responded, irritated.Lison narrowed his eyes suspiciously, but it only took him a couple of seconds to return to his stoic expression."I don’t know who you are, but I’m warning you—stay out of my business," he threatened, his face so serious that it sent a chill down Natalia’s spine.Natalia wanted to scream, to make a scene, but it was as if her body had frozen in place.Meanwhile, Tiodor continued on his way. Anyone who knew him even slightly could sense the murderous aura surrounding him.Natalia eventually recovered, returned to her small cubicle, and packed all her things into a cardboard box. She didn’t want to be there anymore. Knowing Libia, the first thing she’d do after returning from her therapist would be to leave, to get as far away as possible.---**Three days later**Libia left Mrs. Helen’s mental health retreat with a scowl, wearing oversized sunglasses and clothes so baggy they could have belonged to a rapper. Her hair was a tangled mess, t

**Five weeks later.**Libia had convinced herself that she had found some peace. Although her mind occasionally wandered to thoughts of Lison, her self-control was supposedly improving. Despite the urge to call him and take back what she had said, she resisted.Therapy, however, wasn’t working. Worst of all, she had isolated herself once again, and being far from her friends and acquaintances didn’t help. Some days, she barely ate, while others she indulged in junk food binges.That day, she was watching television when her phone started ringing. Libia pretended not to hear it—she wasn’t in the mood to talk to anyone.“Why so much insistence?” she thought irritably as the calls wouldn’t stop, seemingly from different numbers. Rolling her eyes, she reluctantly went over to her phone. Noticing that Natalia had also tried calling, she returned the call. Her friend answered after the first ring."Libia," Natalia said, her voice hurried."Yes? What’s going on? I was... busy," she lied."I’

"Here are the pills,” Natalia announced, holding a glass of water in her right hand.Libia had her head resting on the desk, the weight of a horrible migraine pressing down on her. Without Natalia’s help, she felt she might have already gone mad from all the paperwork.Meanwhile, the situation with Lison had only gotten worse. The man was demanding that the contract he signed with Elena be honored, while Libia was pushing for the opposite, simply because she couldn’t bear to be around him. Perhaps it was immature of her, but being near him made her feel uneasy."I’m going to die of a brain hemorrhage," Libia mumbled, not lifting her head.Natalia sighed. "Everything is going great," she said reassuringly."You’re just saying that to make me feel better.""No, I mean it. Soon, you’ll have more experience, and things will get easier."Libia straightened up in her seat. "Thank you. This is really hard for me, but in the end, it’s what my dad would’ve wanted.""Yes." Natalia offered her a

Libia sat on her sofa, her face pale, hands trembling, and mouth dry, panic consuming her more and more. She was convinced she was going to die—or worse, be murdered in some horrible way."This has to be some cruel joke," she whispered, hugging herself tightly.Esteban shook his head. "*Even in the grave, that woman won’t leave Libia alone!*" he thought bitterly."We’ll find a solution," Natalia assured her."No! You two can’t get involved. I don’t want to put you at risk. I’ll tell Dorantes—maybe he can help me." A glimmer of hope appeared in her eyes.Julio surely had some connections, something that could get her out of this mess."I’m not sure it’s a good idea to trust that man so much," Esteban commented, staring at the floor. He didn’t like to meddle in other people’s business, but this situation was serious, and he wanted to help Libia."Well, I don’t have many options," Libia replied, looking disheartened at her friends.Natalia approached and gave her a tight hug, trying to c