Chapter 45

I couldn’t speak when he said that. I don’t know why, but I faced him and saw his smile.

“That was made by Don Ignacio, made for his wife, and when they passed away, Don Martinez took it because he knew how important Lady Stella was to his wife and his close friend. I just never expected him to display it at their hacienda. It seems like Don Martinez already knew this would happen,” he said with a shrug, looking back at me. It surprised me to see a tear welling up in his eyes.

“D-Detective…”

He just shook his head at me. “I’m sorry, okay? I looked for you, believe me. But I found out that the orphanage where I left you was already burned down.”

I stopped in my tracks, my eyes widening.

W-what does he mean?

“W-what…” I stopped and looked at his hand holding mine.

“Ana… Anastasia Montes is your real name. You are the missing child of Don Ignacio and Lady Stella. You are their child.”

I pulled my hand away from him in shock. I-I couldn't understand what he was saying. I shook my head.

“How could I…? That’s not a good joke, Detective,” I chuckled, but tears were flowing. “I-it’s not… impossible!” I looked at my trembling hands and held my head.

“Ana…”

I just shook my head because I still couldn't process what he was saying.

“I’m sorry. At first, I couldn’t believe you were alive because I thought you were caught in the fire at the orphanage.”

I still couldn’t speak and didn’t know what to do.

“But when I saw the necklace you were wearing when we first met at the precinct. It surprised me to see you, especially when I remembered Lady Stella. I investigated you and found out that you were the child I left behind.” He smiled and tried to reach out to me, but I backed away, so he didn’t get closer to me.

“After many years, I worked hard to become a detective to gather evidence. I also changed my name, so Levi wouldn’t find me. And I regret abandoning Don Ignacio, who was like a father to me for many years.” He smiled, but I knew he’s still sad by what happened to his family. “I can’t believe they went through this. They will suffer a tragedy that they don’t deserve, and justice has not been served for them.”

I couldn’t speak, but tears continued to flow, and I glanced at the two graves, clenching my fists.

“I never imagined that Mateo Villalobos would be your husband because when I returned to San Alfonso after 28 years, I heard that Levi’s daughter-in-law died in an accident, and I didn’t expect that you were the one they also planned to kill. I thought Levi knew the child was alive, but it was just because of Chloe Cain’s jealousy and Caridad’s dislike for you for their son, so they devised a plan to remove you from their lives.” The detective clenched his fists.

“They haven’t changed. They are still monsters burying the truth. I will never forgive them. I promised Don Ignacio and Lady Stella that I would protect you until death because, as Lady Stella said, the whole truth cannot be buried.”

“I am here in front of you to help you with what you want. I want to reclaim the hacienda, the lands, and the businesses they stole from the Montes.”

I remained silent, staring at the two graves, noticing the large raindrops but still not moving from my spot.

“Ana, I know the things you’ve learned are too fast and shocking, but that’s the whole truth, that you are their lost child. They died for the town and for their beloved child. Whatever your plans are, I am here to support you. I will accompany you in the fight—”

“Uncle.”

He paused and turned to me. I didn’t know what I looked like, but I didn’t care.

“A-Ana?”

My face went blank, and I stood up. “I want to rest,” I said coldly. The tone of my voice surprised him, but I heard him sigh, and he stood up as well.

“If that’s what you want, I’ll drive you, and I’ll just drop you off at the entrance of San Alfonso. It seems like it’s getting dark. Martin might be worried about you,” he said, helping me down the hill. “You’re not the only one planning revenge, Ana. There’s another person who went to San Alfonso to oust Levi.”

I paused and only now did I feel alive again, so I looked at him. He just smiled at me and helped me get into my car.

“You’ve met him, Ana. I know you know who I’m referring to.”

My eyes widened as I realized who he was talking about. “Maximiliano…” I whispered, and it seemed like he heard me. He grinned and nodded.

“The youngest sibling of Lady Stella.”

My eyes widened, and I just lowered my head. So that’s why I felt differently about him.

“I only recently found out that Lady Stella had a younger sibling. He visited me at my workplace to inform me that he is Lady Stella’s younger sibling and to find out what happened to his sister because their father was furious when he found out about the Montes' fate, but they also didn’t have any evidence back then, and they didn’t even know where the Montes family was buried.”

“The news of Lady Stella’s death spread, and the police said she resisted arrest, which led to her fate. But no because Lady Stella’s body was found by the river, naked, with gunshot wounds—”

I raised my hand to stop her from speaking. “Please, I heard enough,” I said, so he didn't say anything and just drove the car away from the hill as the rain poured heavily.

If you were my real parents, may God forgive me for what I’m about to do.

***

“Damn! Alexis! Let’s go—” Martin exclaimed to his driver.

“Wait!” Paris blocked Martin, concerned about Ana’s well-being as they still couldn’t contact her. “The rain is getting stronger Martin! Let’s have our staff look for Ana. If you leave, you might miss her!”

“Fuck! Where the hell is she?!”

They scratched their heads, understanding the young man’s worry about Ana.

“Don Martin, it’s flooding outside. It’s better to call for rescue to find Lady Ana,” their housekeeper Teresita suggested.

Martin just sighed and ignored the others at the hacienda, still trying to call Ana, whose phone was turned off. “Damn it! Fuck!!!”

“Fuck you Martin! You’re too loud! We’re worried here too! Your yelling won’t help!” Paris shouted, being restrained by their friends as she was also worried about Ana.

Martin pointed at Paris. “Shut the fuck up!”

“You asshole! You’re being a pain!”

They chuckled as they held back Paris, who was furious with Martin and wanted to confront him. They knew the two of them always argued, even in the past.

“Can you guys calm down? I’m getting annoyed with your shouting! The rain is already heavy, and you’re still yelling! Damn you all!” Cole yelled at them, immediately silencing them as they stopped bickering.

“Almost everyone is worried about Ana, but the foreigner from Spain is calmly flirting with my twin,” Rielle remarked with a grimace as they both looked at Maximiliano and Rio, who were playfully interacting.

The two noticed that they were being watched, so they turned to their companions.

“What?” Maximiliano asked confused, to which they just shook their heads and grinned.

“D-Don Martin! It’s Lady Ana…!”

They paused and peeked at the door where Ana was expected to arrive.

“A-Ana!”

Their eyes widened as they saw her walking in as if the heavy rain didn't bother her at all. They also noticed her walking with her head down and almost lightning striking around her.

“W-what happened to her?”

They were puzzled by Ana’s condition, as she seemed out of sorts while walking into the hacienda, and they stepped back as she entered.

“Ana! Oh, god!”

Martin was about to approach Ana when Maximiliano stopped him, leaving them puzzled.

“Let her be,” Maximiliano said seriously to Martin, who furrowed his brow confused.

“What the fuck?”

They looked at Ana, who seemed oblivious to them, as if she couldn’t hear or see them, continuing to climb until she reached her room, and they only heard the door slam shut loudly.

Martin forcefully pushed Maximiliano and followed Ana, but Maximiliano stopped him again. “Damn you, Max. What’s wrong with you? I want to talk to her." Martin shouted at Max. Maximiliano just shook his head firmly.

“Not now. Please, Martin.”

They locked eyes, but Martin gave in first because he felt that something had changed in Ana when they saw her enter the hacienda.

“She intends to be alone because that is what she needs right now,” Maximiliano said seriously to them as they all looked towards Ana’s room.

***

Upon entering her room, Ana immediately sat on the floor and the words she heard from the detective replayed in her mind.

She screamed loudly, tears streaming down her face.

Ana went into a frenzy in her room, sobbing uncontrollably, as a big question that had been in her mind since childhood resurfaced.

“Why did my parents leave me? Did they not want me? Did they not love me, that's why they abandoned me?”

She felt lonely. She would rather not make friends with her fellow orphans in the orphanage because she hoped that one day her parents would come back for her, but that never happened. No matter what she did, her parents never returned to take her back. The only treasure she had was the necklace left in her diaper with her name engraved on it.

“I’m sorry! I apologize for being mad at you because I thought… you left me! Abandoned me because you couldn’t raise me, but I didn’t know the extent of the hardships you went through compared to what I experienced!” she cried as she held the necklace left by her real mother. “I used to hope that you would come back for me. I used to hope that one day you would take me, but it seems that will never happen… It won’t happen because you’re no longer here! I never even got to experience your embrace and how much you loved me. Please forgive me!”

Ana was overwhelmed with grief when she learned the truth. That her real parents would never come back to her side.

“Mama! Papa! Ahhhh!”

Ana smashed the items in her room, almost getting cut by the shards on the floor, but she was numb to the pain she felt. She noticed a diary under her bed and quickly grabbed it, biting her lip as she read her mother’s name.

“M-mama…”

Trembling, she opened it and flipped to the back of the diary. Tears streamed down her face as she read her mother’s letter to her.

“Our dearest Anastasia, by the time you read this, your father and I will no longer be here. We apologize for leaving you. We apologize for not being there as you grow up, but always remember that we love you dearly. Not a day goes by that we don’t wish we could be with you longer, but it’s not what fate has in store for us.

There are many obstacles to our happiness. Your father is gone, Ana… He couldn’t bear it anymore, he was unable to fulfill his promises to us. His dreams for you. I know he never stopped thinking of you, giving him strength to fight, but at last, he left us too. I didn’t even get to see him before he passed away.

I can’t bear the pain and sadness I feel now, but when I see your smile and feel your little hand holding mine, the sadness fades away because you give me the strength to keep going. So please grow up to be a good child and face life bravely. Your father and I love you so much, this is my last letter to you. Mi Hermosa hija.”

Ana was stunned as she read her mother’s letter. She felt the pain and difficulty, especially the tears, as Stella wrote this letter for her.

She hugged Stella’s diary while lying on the floor because all she felt was overwhelming grief. And she felt like she had been stabbed multiple times upon learning everything, not knowing what else she should do. She just closed her eyes while her tears continued to flow. Eventually, she fell into a deep sleep still holding Stella’s diary.

Martin was deeply concerned for Ana, so he waited a few minutes before entering her room, only to find Ana’s room in disarray.

“Damn! Ana."

He rushed to Ana’s side and noticed that she had fallen asleep from crying, so he carried her to bed.

“What’s the matter, Ana? Why do I feel your pain?” he whispered to Ana and kissed her on the forehead.

He was taken aback when he saw Ana holding the diary, furrowing his brow. “Is it Lady Stella Montes' Diary? How did she get this? Wait, she knows everything?” Martin wondered to himself, then looked at Ana, who was peacefully sleeping with swollen eyes from crying.

His brow furrowed disappeared when he saw Ana’s condition, so he just sighed and stroked Ana’s hair.

“Please tell me you need me, and I’ll help you,” he whispered again, kissing her forehead before standing up and looking at the broken items that he knew Ana had caused.

“Fuck.”

He left Ana’s room and called a maid to clean up the mess in Ana’s room and tend to the wounds Ana had inflicted on herself while breaking her things.

Martin peeked at Ana again and leaned against the wall of her room, waiting for everything to be cleaned up. He decided to let Ana be for now because if his suspicion was correct and Ana already knew the truth… a major disaster would unfold in San Alfonso. Especially since he couldn’t read Ana's actions anymore.

All he would do, until the end… was stayed by Ana’s side and never leave because he was here to help, no matter what happens. He loved Ana, so he understood her feelings. He wouldn’t let her get hurt, so he would protect Ana, even if his life was at stake…