5

Simón raised an eyebrow, looking at Natalia with a mixture of disdain and mockery. The silence between them was thick, heavy with unspoken resentment. 

“You’ve got a knack even for faking dignity,” he snapped, his gaze sweeping over her from head to toe.

The words hit her like an unexpected blow, but Natalia barely flinched. She was sick of those cruel games. 

She kept her gaze steady, refusing to show him how much his comments affected her.

“Think what you will, Simón,” she replied coldly, her voice firm but weary. 

It wasn’t worth arguing any further. She had decided not to remain tied to that toxicity.

Without waiting for his reaction, she turned away, walking away from him with her body tense.

The luxury car was waiting for her at the entrance, with the driver Roger at the wheel, starting the engine in the cold of the night. 

Natalia walked down the stairs with her head held high and heavy suitcases in each hand, as if they carried the weight of the past few years. 

When she saw the car, she frowned.

“Wasn’t there another one?” she asked, almost with contempt. The car seemed like a statement of opulence that didn’t fit with how she was feeling at that moment.

Roger looked at her with a slight nod.

“Those were Mr. Simón’s orders, ma’am.”

Natalia shook her head in disbelief. 

“Why this gesture?” she thought with disgust.

After all the contempt, why have her sent off in such an expensive car? She didn’t understand his reasoning, but it didn’t matter anymore. 

She took out her phone and called her friend Daniel, one of the few men she still trusted. He answered quickly, as if he’d been expecting her call.

“Daniel, I need a favor,” she said in a tense voice. “I want you to draft a divorce settlement. Ask Simón for 200 million and Villa Azul.”

Daniel was silent for a few seconds, surprised.

“200 million? Are you sure, Natalia?” His voice sounded doubtful.

She nodded, even though she knew he couldn’t see her. It seemed like a small price to pay for the abuse she’d endured for so many years, but she’d already set aside part of that money for a good cause.

“Yes, I’m sure. I’ll also give you part of that amount to help me investigate something,” she said firmly.

Daniel didn’t hesitate to accept.

“Count on me. What do you want to investigate?”

Natalia pressed her lips together, recalling Isabella’s words. “She had spent years abroad treating a heart condition.”

How could she be so sure that was true? Something about all this didn’t sit right with her, and she was determined to look into it.

“I want you to investigate whether that heart condition Isabella claims to have actually exists,” she said with determination. “Something doesn’t add up, Daniel. At least Simón should know the truth.”

Daniel understood immediately and promised to start the investigation right away. Meanwhile, Natalia got into the car, watching the Cáceres mansion fade away behind her through the window. 

She knew she would never return, but this time, the feeling of fleeing wasn’t one of defeat, but of struggle. The cold of the night was nothing compared to the heat of the determination now burning in her chest.

…

Natalia arrived at the door of Daniel’s apartment, her heart heavy. 

She hadn’t wanted to stay at the hotel Simón had paid for her, as if it were a mere transaction. She pressed her lips together, filled with pent-up rage.

“He brings his lover into the house, and he sends me to a hotel,” she thought with disgust as she knocked on the door.

Daniel opened the door immediately, his face lit up by a warm smile. He hugged her tightly, as if he wanted to protect her from the world.

“I’ve already started the investigation,” he said as soon as he let go of her. “Do you really want to expose your sister?”

Natalia looked him in the eyes, with cold determination.

“Yes,” she replied without hesitation. “That woman has lied to and manipulated everyone for far too long.”

Daniel frowned, curious.

“Do you expect Simón to regret it?”

Natalia shook her head, letting out a weary sigh.

“I don’t expect anything from him anymore. What he does or doesn’t do is no longer my problem.”

Daniel nodded, understanding the pain behind those words. He walked into the kitchen and began preparing dinner. 

The aroma of the fish began to fill the air, but when he served it at the table, Natalia frowned.

“I don’t feel like it,” she said, pushing the plate away with a gesture of distaste.

“It’s your favorite; you’ve always liked it,” Daniel replied, surprised.

“Not today. I just want a glass of wine,” she smiled apologetically. “I’m not hungry.”

Daniel poured her a glass, watching her out of the corner of his eye.

“Natalia… When you were with Simón, did you take care of yourself?”

She looked at him in silence for a few seconds before answering in a subdued voice.

“No… I didn’t.”

Daniel watched her with a mixture of concern and caution, but decided not to say anything else. The silence between them hung heavy, laden with uncertainty.