The sound of Ana's chains echoed against the polished courtroom floor as she was led inside. Her heart pounded in her chest, but this time she was not alone.
Walking beside her, papers tucked neatly in a slim black folder, was Camila Torres, her new lawyer.
Camila's stride was steady, professional, but Ana could feel the force of her presence. She wasn't loud or dramatic, but she carried herself with the quiet authority of someone who knew the law better than anyone else in the room. For the first time in weeks, Ana's trembling hands stilled just slightly.
"Head up," Camila murmured under her breath as they approached the defense table. "You are Gabriel Santiago's daughter. Remember that."
Ana straightened her spine, inhaling shakily. Yes. She is Gabriel Santiago's daughter, not the broken shell Mariana wanted her to be.
But her fleeting strength faltered the moment she saw him.
Alejandro Cruz.
Her husband sat across the courtroom, not by her side but with the prosecution, beside Mariana. His sharp suit was perfectly pressed, his dark hair combed back, his jaw tight as though carrying a burden.
When his eyes met hers, there was no warmth. No flicker of the love that had once made her defy her father to marry him.
There was only distance.
Ana froze, her stomach twisting. No. No, this can't be real.
The judge entered, calling the session to order. Everyone rose.
The Trial Begins
The prosecutor began his statement, voice strong and damning. "Your honor, today we will continue to show clear evidence that Ana Santiago not only had a motive to kill her father, Gabriel Santiago, but also the temperament and opportunity.
Witness testimonies, recordings, and behavior all point to her guilt. And we will call to the stand an unexpected figure who can shed further light on her violent history with her father, her own husband, Alejandro Cruz."
Ana's entire body went cold.
Camila leaned closer to her, whispering, "Stay calm. Don't give them the reaction they want."
But Ana's chest was heaving as Alejandro walked toward the witness stand.
He raised his right hand, swore to tell the truth, and sat. His jaw clenched as the prosecutor asked, "Señor Cruz, can you describe the relationship between your wife and her father?"
Alejandro's voice was steady, but to Ana, it sounded like knives. "It was strained. Gabriel never approved of our marriage. Ana often argued with him. Their disagreements grew worse after we married. She… she once told me she wished he would stop controlling her life. She said she was tired of being treated like a child."
Gasps swept the courtroom.
Ana's lips parted. "Alejandro…" she whispered, disbelief flooding her.
The prosecutor leaned forward. "In your opinion, did Ana have reason to resent her father enough to act violently?"
Silence stretched. Alejandro's eyes flickered toward Ana just for a heartbeat. Then he said it:
"Yes."
The word shattered her world.
Ana's throat burned as though she'd swallowed glass.
Camila stood swiftly. "Objection, your honor. That is speculation, not fact."
"Sustained," the judge agreed. "The jury will disregard that statement."
But the damage was already done. The whispers filled the room, eyes burned into Ana's back, and her husband's betrayal echoed louder than any gavel.
When it was Camila's turn, she approached the stand with calm precision. Her voice was sharp, professional.
"Señor Cruz, you say your wife resented her father. Did you ever hear her threaten him directly?"
Alejandro shifted. "No… not directly."
Camila tilted her head. "So, you never heard Ana Santiago make a clear, verbal threat to harm her father. Yes or no?"
Alejandro hesitated. "…No."
Camila pressed. "And yet you stand here, under oath, suggesting that her frustration as a daughter is equal to intent to commit murder? Tell me, Señor Cruz—have you ever argued with someone you love? Your wife, perhaps?"
Alejandro's jaw clenched.
"Did those arguments mean you intended to kill them?"
"No," he admitted quietly.
Camila leaned closer, her eyes locked on his. "Then let me remind the court, anger does not equal murder. And speculation is not evidence."
The judge nodded. "Point made, counselor. The witness may step down."
Alejandro returned to his seat, but not beside Ana. He sat near Mariana, whose faint smile never faltered.
After the hearing, the session ended. Ana was escorted out before she could say a word to Alejandro.
Back in her cell, her body crumbled. She sank to her knees, clutching her chest as if her heart had been ripped from her.
"How could he?" she whispered hoarsely. Tears spilled down her cheeks, unstoppable, raw. "He was supposed to be my home. My safe place. And now he—he—"
Her sobs choked her. She buried her face in her hands, shaking violently.
Angel, sitting on her cot, watched silently for a long while before speaking. "Cry it out. Better here than in front of them."
Ana's sobs tore through the silence. She screamed into her palms until her throat burned, until she could barely breathe.
Finally, her cries softened to broken whispers. "He chose them. He chose Mariana over me."
Angel stood, moving closer. Her voice was low but steady. "No, niña. He didn't choose her. Not willingly."
Ana blinked up, her face streaked with tears. "What are you saying?"
Angel crouched, her sharp eyes meeting Ana's. "Think. Alejandro knows Mariana. He knows what she's capable of. If he's siding with her, it's not because he loves her or believes her, it's because she has something on him. She's either bought him… or threatened him."
Ana's breath caught. The thought lodged in her mind like a thorn.
"No," she whispered, shaking her head. "Alejandro would never"
"Wouldn't he?" Angel interrupted. "Men like him… they break easier than you think. You're in here, helpless, while Mariana pulls the strings outside. If she dangled enough money… or threatened someone he cares about…" Angel shrugged. "He could be trapped."
Ana's heart clenched painfully. She remembered Alejandro's eyes on the stand—cold, distant, but not entirely empty. There had been something there. Something like… regret.
Could Angel be right?
***
Later that noon, Camila returned to the prison to meet Ana privately. She placed her folder on the table, her expression firm.
"Ana," she said, "I know today broke you. But listen to me, we are not losing this fight. Alejandro's testimony hurt, yes. But it also revealed something."
Ana's red-rimmed eyes lifted. "What?"
Camila leaned in. "He didn't testify that you killed your father. He testified that you argued with him. That's it. And when pressed, he admitted he never heard you threaten Gabriel.
That means Mariana's case is weaker than it looks. They're relying on character assassination, not evidence. And we can dismantle that."
Ana swallowed. "But why would Alejandro side with them at all?"
Camila's gaze hardened. "That's what I intend to find out. Whether he was bribed… or forced. Either way, we'll expose it."
Ana's trembling hands clenched into fists. "If Mariana is threatening him…"
"Then we turn it back on her," Camila finished. "Trust me, Ana. I don't take cases I can't win. And I don't lose."
For the first time all day, Ana's tears slowed. Camila's words wrapped around her like armor.
But deep in her heart, the question remained.
Had Alejandro truly betrayed her?
Or was he just another victim in Mariana's web?
As Ana was led back to her cell, she glanced through the bars and froze.
In the visiting area, through the glass, she caught a glimpse of Alejandro speaking quietly with Mariana. His posture was rigid, his fists clenched at his sides. Mariana touched his arm lightly, whispering something in his ear.
And for the first time, Ana saw it clearly, his jaw tight, his face pale. Alejandro looked less like a willing ally… and more like a man cornered by something he couldn't escape.
Ana's heart pounded.
What has she done to you, Alejandro?