Chapter 9 - The Departure
Eleanor recoiled in shock, stumbling backward until she hit the edge of the velvet sofa. She reached up, clutching her diamond necklace as if the cold stones could somehow offer her salvation from the impending storm.
"Beatriz, please, let us think about this reasonably!"
Eleanor begged, her voice shrill and desperate, the facade of the haughty matriarch completely shattered.
"This will become a massive public scandal! The press will ruin us all!"
Beatriz looked at her with a calm, sorrowful expression.
"The scandal began the moment you confused cruelty with power, Eleanor."
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She didn't wait for a reply. Beatriz adjusted the white muslin cloth draped over her shoulder, pressing a tender kiss to Leo's warm forehead. Then, she turned and walked toward the door, never once looking back.
Her simple, worn slippers stepped directly over the broken glass, the spilled formula, and the shattered remnants of a life she had tried so desperately to save by herself. Behind her, Rodrigo collapsed onto the velvet sofa, a picture of absolute defeat, while his mother stood frozen, pale and entirely speechless.
