Alejandro thought the babysitter had harmed his daughter... until the camera revealed who had tried to poison her.

The morning sun brought no warmth to the mansion. Alejandro had spent the entire night sitting in a chair beside Sofía’s bed, watching her chest rise and fall. When he finally walked downstairs to the kitchen to brew some coffee, he was met with an unexpected and formidable presence.

Sitting at the kitchen island, wearing an impeccable navy blue dress and sipping an espresso, was his mother, Isabella.

Isabella was a woman who commanded respect entirely through her posture. She was old money, deeply traditional, and held a fierce, unwavering loyalty to family appearances. And unfortunately, she absolutely adored Valeria.

"Mother," Alejandro said, rubbing his exhausted eyes. "What are you doing here at seven in the morning?"

"I received a hysterical phone call from Valeria at three a.m.," Isabella stated, setting her porcelain cup down with a sharp clink. "She was sobbing, claiming you threw her out of the house like a stray dog because of a misunderstanding over children's vitamins. Care to explain why you are ruining an incredibly important alliance for our family?"

Alejandro felt a surge of pure, unfiltered anger. "It wasn't a misunderstanding, Mother. It was attempted murder."

Isabella scoffed, waving her hand dismissively. "Oh, don't be so dramatic, Alejandro. Valeria is a high-society darling. She wouldn't hurt a fly, let alone her future stepdaughter. I suspect that little maid of yours is whispering lies in your ear. I never trusted Lucía. She's too quiet. Too observant."

"Lucía is the only reason your granddaughter is breathing this morning," Alejandro countered, pulling out his phone. "You want to talk about drama? Watch this."

He pulled up the security footage and shoved the phone across the marble counter. Isabella sighed, clearly annoyed, but looked at the screen. As she watched Valeria crush the heavy pills into the pasta, her aristocratic mask slipped. The color drained from her perfectly manicured face.