Chapter 69 Conversation.

Chapter 69 Conversation.
Chapter 69.
Conversation.
Hearing him, seeing the undeniable connection that exists between the man she loves and the son who is her life, touches Alicia’s heart and completely disarms Lucas. Tears, finally, dampen the powerful man’s eyes.
“Listen to me, darling. Let’s talk. Give me a chance to talk. I assure you things are not as you believe,” Lucas pleads, searching for any anchor point, any excuse to prolong the moment. “It's lunchtime. Did you eat yet? Are you hungry? I can take you to a restaurant…” He knows that won’t work.
“A quieter place…” he corrects himself, looking for a middle ground.
Little Julián looks at his mother, then touches his belly.
“Hungry…” he says, his voice weak and small.
“We’re leaving now, darling,” Alicia tells him, looking at Lucas with a glacial coldness that is her last defense.
“Go away,” she insists, unwavering.
“Okay, okay, just look at something. I want to show you something, darling, okay? I won't come closer, just look at this,” Lucas pulls out his cell phone, a piece of advanced technology that shines in contrast to the austerity of the place. He shows it to Alicia, maintaining a safe distance.
She hesitates before reaching out her hand. Curiosity, the need to know, defeats her.
“If I look at it, will you let me go?” she asks, negotiating her last card.
“Yes. Look at it. And you decide if you want to leave or talk to me,” Lucas promises, and by the sincerity in his gaze, she knows he is telling the truth.
Alicia takes the cell phone with the tips of her trembling fingers. On the screen, a video begins to play: it is footage from the security cameras of their old mansion, recorded the night she returned.
The cameras capture her entering, dressed in her travel clothes. Seeing Alicia's silhouette, Carolina, who was about to leave, runs. She runs, taking off her clothes on the way to the bedroom. The sequence is clear, though fast: Carolina knew Alicia would return; she was waiting for her return to set a trap.
Tears begin to stream down Alicia's cheeks. The terror, the anguish, the sadness of the last three years begin to crumble under the weight of the truth.
Lucas, without approaching, begins to speak, his voice low and broken by emotion.
“She knew that when you saw that news, you would come back. It was a mistake on my part to make her believe I would marry her. I was just looking for a way to calm things down, to be able to bring you back. I don't know how I could listen to her about the marriage, I was heartbroken without you. I didn’t know how to handle things, but no, no my love, I would never betray you.” He pauses, his voice trembling. “She took advantage of the situation to push you away from me. Everything, from the beginning, was her. She confessed to me that she hired Alexei to sow discord between us, that he was behind everything from the start.”
Lucas takes another step, this time with the determination of someone confessing deep pain.
“Listen to me, darling. I love you and I haven't stopped looking for you. I gave up everything. I moved here, to Milan. I created a new life for us, where no one will judge us, just us. Allow me to make amends for all the damage I caused you.”
Alicia cries. The weight of the revelation, the pain of having believed such a destructive lie, overwhelms her. The baby, seeing her cry, begins to sob, leaning on her chest.
“Don’t cry, Julián. Mommy is sorry, I…”
Lucas interrupts her, the child’s name resonating in his ear with an unheard-of sweetness.
“His name is Julián… How is it that…?”
Alicia interrupts him, the truth flowing in an uncontrollable torrent.
“I didn't come back because of the announcement. I… hadn't seen it until I landed. I returned because I discovered I was pregnant. The last night we were together, we forgot the injection date, and the fact is, when I found out, I didn't want to wait to tell you. I felt we had a reason to overcome all this together. I thought this baby would give us the strength to move forward, but I didn't expect to find you like that. You left me alone… and then seeing you in bed with her… What did you want me to think? I already had so much on my mind. I was shattered by not being able to be with you.”
Her voice breaks as she speaks of the misery she has endured.
“These years have been so difficult. Work barely gives us enough to eat. Sometimes there is food, sometimes there isn’t. The diapers… I wanted to call you so many times, but I was afraid you would take him away from me.”
Lucas walks toward her, this time without asking, but with the slowness of someone respecting a sacred boundary.
“No, no, darling. If I’ve been looking for you for so long, how could I take him away? I’ve been looking for you for months because I want to be with you. God, it hurts me to know you've had such a hard time. I can't sleep thinking about where you might be. I've searched every corner, my love. I'm here. Don't be afraid of me. I came for you, for both of you. Just give me a chance, please.”
He kneels. Not before her, but in front of her parents' tomb, with a gesture of deep respect and humiliation.
“In front of your parents' grave, I ask for your forgiveness, Alicia. Forgive me and give me the opportunity to be together, with our son. I want to know him. I've missed so much of his life. I couldn't let you go now that I've found you, now that I know about him. I beg you, give me a chance to mend my mistakes, to win you back.”
Alicia feels her heart pound with overwhelming force. The lie has dissolved. All that remains is the shared pain and the promise of unshakeable love. She crouches down and lowers the little boy, who clings to her neck.
“Go to Daddy, go darling,” she whispers, gently pushing him toward his destiny.
Julián lets go of her, looks at his mother for confirmation, and seeing her nod, runs into Lucas's arms, who takes him with a devotion and delicacy that breaks Alicia's heart.
“Daddy…” the little one exclaims, nestling into his neck.
“Yes, champion. I am your daddy. I am your daddy,” Lucas says, kissing his hair, his voice choked with tears.
Lucas stands up and, still holding Julián, hugs her. He covers her face and hair with kisses, feeling her, closing his eyes, agitated. It is not a dream. It is her. He has her in his arms, and now with a new reason to live.