Egil is busy conducting inspections of the other estates. The news of an imminent strike by some peasants has occupied all his attention during this time. He ordered Gage to accompany him and left Vítor in charge of important matters at the house with explicit instructions to notify him if anything urgent requires his attention.Late at night, burdened with exhaustion, he heads to his room, takes off his coat, and removes the muddy boots from his feet after walking through the crops and checking production. He has been here for a whole week, and the cold is seeping into his bones in these lands as he tries to reason with his workers. It's proving more challenging than he had believed. He needs at least a month to sort everything out here before returning to the Arrabal hacienda. A workers' strike is the last thing he needs right now.His trip was kept completely secret; no one knew the day he left the hacienda to ensure his safety, which has been under threat for some time."Do you wa

Egil Arrabal and at least half a dozen of his men set out to meet the informant. It's still early in the morning, but the mist intensifies the already limited visibility on these roads."What will we do with that man next, boss?" Gage asks, organizing the men into strategic positions. Since yesterday, when he scouted these lands, a suspicion has been growing in him. He knows you can't trust someone who betrays their employer first and then the ideals they chose to follow. Such people are unscrupulous and driven by excessive ambition, capable of selling their soul to the devil himself to achieve their goals."We need him for now," Egil's deep, grave voice responds from the back of the truck, making Gage nod. "We must move cautiously to feign confidence. I need the information he has to put an end to these strike threats. I won't risk our products because of a bunch of jobless peasants.""The men have been in their positions since last night," Gage informs. Egil gives his approval.Gage

"I didn't know about Egil's orders, Mr. Vítor," Petra says apologetically but immensely happy inside. "I called her 'missus' a few times myself. Egil never told me anything. If I had known, I wouldn't have sinned in my ignorance.""I'm very sorry that you weren't informed, miss. But Mr. Egil put his marriage certificate on hold.""And is that a good thing or a bad thing?""For a title as important as being the wife of the most renowned and prosperous heir of all time, it's definitely a bad thing. Mr. Egil is refusing to acknowledge her and give her his surname. As a result, no member of the family will recognize her as one of them. Although, despite that, she remains someone important and worthy of respect for bearing the Valencia surname.""Yes, I understand," the woman smiles, pretending to be calm.Vítor leaves, and Petra contemplates her situation. She must stop that certificate at all costs, even if she has to kill Adelaide to do so. There can't be another woman more important th

On the outskirts of the Zhufun estate, Nadia Valencia sighs at her luck while Gabriel tries to comfort her. They have been living on this small farm in the middle of the forest for two weeks now, and she feels annoyed and bored, but above all, angry due to their precarious life. For her, this place is horrendous, dirty, without any comforts, and the cold goes straight to her bones. The mosquitoes won't let her sleep at night, not to mention that they haven't had a decent meal since they came here."You said we would only be here for a few days," she confronts him. "I can't stand this place anymore, Gabriel. It's not what you promised me. I don't deserve this. Just look at my hair, my nails, my legs are covered in mosquito bites. We haven't eaten anything besides chicken for all these days. The water is not drinkable and it gives me stomach discomfort, and on top of that, I can't even take a proper bath to relax.""You know our situation, Nadia. You know that your father's men are hot

At the inn, Egil Arrabal impatiently awaits Gage's arrival. With a bottle of whiskey in hand, he attempts to ease the excruciating pain in his shoulder; his wound continues to bleed despite all the medications prescribed by the doctor. He removes his coat, revealing a large bloodstain, which makes him exhale heavily. Slowly, he takes off his shirt, as well as the bandages covering that area, exposing the gunshot wound that is still raw. The blood he lost from the gunshot weakened him considerably.He takes a few sips of his drink to gather courage. He grabs his dagger, inherited from his great-grandfather, and places the tip in the fire, letting the metal heat until it turns a bright red before holding it over his wound for a few seconds. A piercing scream echoes throughout the room, putting Gage, who has just arrived, on high alert.The intense pain leaves Egil semi-conscious, lying on the floor. He prefers to believe in the old methods rather than the ones they use now. That doctor