The kitchen went silent for a mont, and I beca painfully aware of the other maids standing around. Then the whispers started.
As expected.
"Look at her now. How the mighty has fallen."
"Moon Goddess’s curse is no joke. Who would’ve thought?"
"Even her sisters despise her. Imagine being hated by your own blood. Are we supposed to respect her?"
Juana pulled back from the hug and turned to defend once again.
"Do you have no sha? Señorita María José is standing right here, crying, and this is what you choose to do? Backbite her? Do you even have hearts?"
The maids exchanged awkward glances, so muttering half-hearted apologies, while others quickly busied themselves with their tasks but not without telling Juana to mind her business.
At that mont, the kitchen door swung open, and the butler, a tall man nad Don Federico, walked in. His sharp eyes landed on imdiately.
"Señorita María José," he said gently, stepping closer when he saw my tears. "What is the matter?"
Juana answered before I could. "She’s had a rough day, Don Federico. Her sisters have been... well, they’ve been terrible to her."
He nodded solemnly and placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. "Señorita, you are stronger than this. But perhaps it would be best to console yourself in a quieter place. Juana, why don’t you take her to her room?"
Juana nodded, throwing an arm around protectively. "Co on, María José. Let’s get you out of here."
I let her guide out of the kitchen, past the pitying and judgntal stares of the staff, and up the staircase to my room. Juana closed the door behind us, locking out the world—or at least trying to.
She sat down on the bed. "Talk to ," she said, sitting beside and taking my hands in hers. "What happened?"
Reliving the painful mories of this horrible day was sothing I’d rather pass on. However, I needed to talk to soone about it and get so of the burden out of my mind.
I have Juana a ssy recount of everything—Luis Miguel and his vile friends, Axel stepping in to save , Rosa and Camilla’s accusations, and my father’s cruelty.
Juana listened intently as usual with her expression changing with every word I uttered.
When I finally finished, she let out a frustrated huff. "Your father is impossible," she hissed, shaking her head. "And your sisters? Don’t even get started. But Luis Miguel... oh, I swear, if I ever see him, I’ll—"
I cut her off with a small smile, though my face was still damp with tears. "It’s okay, Juana. You don’t need to fight my battles."
"No, María José. You don’t deserve this. None of it. And Axel—thank the Moon Goddess for him. He sounds like the only decent person in this whole ss." She clasped her hands in mind affectionately.
I nodded while my mind drifted to Axel again. "He’s... different," I admitted softly. "But it’s weird, right? Why would soone like him even bother? It’s not like we’re close."
Juana tilted her head. "Oh, I see what’s happening here."
I frowned. "What are you talking about?"
"Axel likes you, María José," she said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
No, he doesn’t!
Suddenly, Juana flicked her fingers, making jolt. She looked as if she were about to launch into one of her grand theories, the kind that would dump into a dilemma of half-belief and half-doubt.
"I’m telling you, María José," she said, jabbing a finger in the air for emphasis. "The mysterious benefactor has to be Axel too. Who else would swoop in and drop that money for you like so mysterious guardian angel?"
I frowned, the mory of that mont still fresh and jarring. "It doesn’t make sense, Juana. If it really was Axel, why wouldn’t he have stepped in earlier? He was there, wasn’t he? He saw what Luis Miguel and his cronies were doing to . If he cared, why didn’t he stop them?"
Juana crossed her arms and leaned back, twisting her lips in thought. "Maybe he didn’t want to draw attention to himself. You said it yourself—Axel doesn’t seem like the type who likes to make a scene."
"That’s exactly why it doesn’t add up. What kind of person stands by and watches sothing like that happen, only to drop money afterward and disappear? It’s... weird. And honestly, a little insulting." " I argued, shaking my head.
If that was Axel, then I wasn’t sure I’d be able to see him in the sa light. I would have given anything to be saved from Luis Miguel’s disgusting kiss. Anything at all.
I knew he had his friends would forever tease about it. If Axel watched that happen without lifting a finger, I wasn’t sure I could forgive him for it.
So please, do not be Axel.
"Ay, María José. You’re overthinking this. Maybe he didn’t intervene because he didn’t want to escalate things or make it worse for you. You know how people like Luis Miguel can get when their ego is bruised. They might co after you harder next ti, and Axel might not be there to help you then. And maybe—just maybe—he thought leaving the money would be a way to help without putting you in more danger."
Okay, Juana was officially an Axel fangirl!
I opened my mouth to counter, but she held up a hand to stop .
"Look, I know it’s not the fairy tale rescue you were probably hoping for. But not everyone handles things the sa way. Axel might’ve had his reasons for staying in the shadows. And from everything you’ve told about him, it sounds like he’s the kind of guy who prefers to help without making a big deal about it."
I stared at her, torn between disbelief and reluctant acceptance. "So you’re saying he just... dropped the money and vanished like so kind of secret superhero? That’s ridiculous."
"Ridiculous or not, it’s the best explanation we’ve got," Juana shot back. "And honestly, it makes sense. Think about it: Axel’s rich, he’s connected, and he clearly has a soft spot for you. Who else would’ve done it? Rosa? Camilla? Your father?" She scoffed. "Please."
The idea of Axel being my mysterious benefactor made my stomach twist in ways I didn’t want to examine too closely. "But if he really likes , wouldn’t he just... say it? Why go through all this secrecy and roundabout ways of helping ?"
Juana smirked, flipping her neck left and right. "Because n are idiots, María José. Especially n who don’t know how to handle their feelings. Axel probably doesn’t want to scare you off or make things awkward. So he’s playing it safe, watching from the sidelines, and helping where he can."
Was he? Dammit... how I wish I could grow enough balls to ask him. But then again, I saw it once on TikTok that a man who gives mixed signals is a man who is uninterested.
Just how true was that?
—
{A\N}
Hi friends! Thanks for reading this far. You’re the real MVP! If you love what you’re reading so far, please, support the book with power stones, Golden tickets, and gifts (lots of those sweet sweet gifts... hahaha ;)). If you also have any questions, ask in the comnts, and I’ll answer all! Thanks again for giving my book a chance.
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