That day, I went to the bank without telling anyone. I’d never done anything like that before.

Álvaro smiled even wider. “Exactly. We’re just trying to avoid any family conflicts.” In that instant, everything became clear.

It wasn’t confusion. It wasn’t concern. It was a deliberate act.

I left the bank unnoticed. My hands were shaking—not from fear, but from a sharp, unquestionable clarity of mind. Álvaro believed that my calmness made me harmless; that my age made me invisible; that my silence meant submission.

He was wrong.

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