— This is all my fault — Alexander says as he intertwines his fingers with Tadeus' — I should have been more careful; I didn't have time to tell you — he says with a knot in his throat that makes it hard for him to hold back his tears just by breathing — My men told me they hadn't even started covering you with dirt when they arrived, but it only took them three minutes to do so — Alexander says, breaking down in tears — I'm sorry.
The days go by, but Alexander can't get any information about Yenedith and Mrs. Daisy. It occurs to him that a business rival might be trying to weaken him by attacking his partner, but he hasn't received any communication. After so many days mulling over the previous events, it's not hard for him to believe that the disappearances of Leonard, Dove, and Minos are also part of an orchestrated plan aimed at sabotaging his business dealings with the Greeks.
He has thought about traveling, but the Raptis brothers aren't too concerned as long as the merchandise arrives complete and of high quality, and so far, he hasn't received any information to the contrary.
Tadeus opens his eyes and tries to focus, blinking several times until they adjust to the light — Alexander?
— Yes, it's me. I'm with you, right here!
— You're here — Tadeus says in a hoarse voice, a faint smile on his face. Alexander kisses him, his face wet with tears of happiness.
<><><>
Meanwhile, Elena hugs Edwin, who has just woken up after several days on sedatives to aid his recovery. His trusted doctor checks his vision, the mobility of the fingers on his left hand, and his breathing — Everything seems normal. You need to get plenty of rest and avoid stress so your heart rate doesn't get too high — says the doctor.
— I'm not going to be cooped up in this room for months — Edwin complains.
— You can walk a few steps a day with someone's help to prevent falls. Your injuries are deep, and as you can imagine, even though I'll prescribe pain medication, it probably won't completely eliminate the pain, and your mobility will be limited while your injuries heal — the doctor says — Try to move your fingers and toes every hour. Luckily, we were able to operate on the tendon in your right hand, but you must exercise regularly.
— Yes, Dr. Meneses — says Elena — I'll be with him at all times, and I'll hire a physical therapist to help him with some exercises every day.
— Very good — says the doctor — Don't forget to take your medication. So far, I've done everything in my power to keep him as healthy as possible after sustaining this type of injury. Now, he has to do his part.
— Mariano, I owe you my life — says Edwin — Ask me for anything you want.
— Don't worry about that right now, sir — the doctor says with a smile — Well, I'll be going now. Please stick to a balanced diet and no alcohol until you've fully recovered.
— Of course — Elena replies, and Edwin nods.
When the doctor leaves, the woman turns to look at her husband, sits on the edge of the bed, and gently hugs him before giving him a quick kiss on the lips — How are you feeling?
— It hurts to breathe.
— One of the stab wounds punctured your lung, and you almost…
— Sh… sh… — he groans, closing his eyes from exhaustion — Where is him? Bring him to me.
— How about you talk to Gustaph first? He's here.
— Perfect — Edwin replies with some difficulty.
Gustaph decides not to stand up when he hears the door open. He is sitting in the armchair in front of the large window. His clothes are dirty, his hair is messy, and his beard looks like a nest after weeks without shaving. The smell of food from the piled-up plates no longer bothers him.
— You've really decided to be miserable — Elena says — Gustaph, you've had every comfort. What's this? Don't tell me you're on a hunger strike at your age.
— What did you do with the boy? If you're not going to answer that, you won't let me go, and you're not going to kill me either. I want you to leave.
— Edwin sent for you.
— He's alive? — Gustaph asks. This time he turns to look at her, studying her expression.
— Come see for yourself, but for heaven's sake, take a shower first — she says, and starts to leave the room, but Gustaph stops her, saying:
— I imagine you've told him where you buried your stepson's body, Elena. El Coyote, with his last breath, asked his men not to kill him. What do you think will happen when he finds out? And don't even imagine what he'll do when he learns what you've done to his little girl.
— He won't find out because you're not going to tell him anything.
— Maybe you can convince him that his son ran away. But what are you going to tell him about me? I've known him since before high school. Do you think you're the boss? You don't have a clue about a quarter of the business we run. Don't make me laugh with your threats, woman.
Elena returned with Edwin, saying that Gustaph had decided to leave the mansion without knowing he had woken up, and she did her best to keep the two from talking, despite her husband's bad mood at having no news of his right-hand.
<><><>
Yenedith wakes up with a headache in a spacious, cream-colored room. The setting seems familiar to her, but she assumes it's a hotel room. The window panes are frosted, and the door to what she assumes is the bathroom is locked. — Boris, is that you? — she asks when she hears the sound of keys and footsteps approaching — Elena! Thank goodness, I've been so worried — says Yenedith, greeting her with a hug — What happened?
— I'm so glad to see you're okay — Elena tucks the girl's hair behind her ears and holds her hands — First, take a shower and eat something. Then we can talk more calmly.
— No, I need to know what's going on right now. I haven't slept in days and I've been locked up in a hostel without being able to leave for weeks. I need to know! — Yenedith demands.
— Come, sit down…
— Then?
— Strauss found out. We don't know how, but he managed to infiltrate someone into the mansion to kill your father, your brother, and Gustaph while they were meeting.
Yenedith's voice takes some time to sound in her throat — But if you say he tried, that means he didn't succeed, right?
— Your dad survived; he's a little weak, but he'll get better, and Gustaph…
— I'm asking about Tadeus. I want to see him; I want to know how he's doing.
— The attacker managed to take him away, using him as a human shield. I couldn't let them harm him, and the safest thing was to let him go.
— But how, with all the men Edwin has here?! — Yenedith protests with tears in her eyes — Why didn't you tell me anything?
— I didn't want anything to happen to you. If the Animal infiltrated someone, we don't know who else he sent to take you all out.
— My grandmother… Where is she?
— She's been safe here since she recovered. Don't worry, you'll get to talk to her, but first you need to stay calm so you don't scare her more than she already is. She's quite an elderly lady.
Yenedith nods and stands up. When Elena leaves the room, she takes a bath. Once she has access to a phone, she decides to call Charles. As her bodyguard, he might be able to give her more information, but he doesn't answer.
— Are you ready yet? — Elena asks from the other side of the door.
— Yes — she says, setting the phone aside.
— Now, I need you to be careful about what you tell him. He doesn't know I sent you out of the country to protect you — Elena says — He was very worried about you.
— I won't tell him anything, but if he asks me directly, I'm not going to lie to him — Yenedith says.
She walks down the hallway toward the first floor, where she stops in front of a large door that is opened by the man standing guard. That's when she sees Edwin sitting at the head of the table — My daughter, come here! — he calls out when he sees her.
Yenedith approaches to give him a quick hug and sits down next to him at the table. She notices that one of his hands is bandaged, and parts of the bandage on his torso are visible through the slight opening at the neck of his shirt. — Were you shot? — Yenedith asks.
— He was stabbed — Elena replies.
— How are you feeling?
— I'm fine, my daughter. I was hoping to see both of you — Edwin says. Yenedith turns her face toward Elena, who shakes her head slightly from side to side.
— I was traveling. I came as soon as I heard what happened — Yen says.
— Yes, the attack is definitely a shame — Elena says, stepping closer to take her husband's hand. Yenedith observes her father's confused reaction and her stepmother's gaze, one that seems to imply caution. Is she warning me or him? she wonders.
— I'll make sure my children are safe. Both of them — Edwin says with his gaze fixed on his wife.
Yenedith isn't convinced, but she decides to keep quiet and joins them for breakfast. She remembers that in her last conversation with Tadeus, he had planned to flee with his grandmother to another country where Edwin couldn't find them, but the fact that Alexander found out completely changes things.