Chapter 24 The Blame.
Chapter 24.
The Blame.
Hours after the devastating call with the Patriarch, the mansion is submerged in an oppressive silence. Alicia has locked herself in her room, unable to process the blow. The weight of guilt is unbearable. If she hadn't impulsively run away that night, fleeing a simple difficult conversation, none of this—not the public humiliation, not the viral video, nor Carolina’s triumphant interference—would have happened.
She sits on the edge of the bed, surrounded by the screenshots from the university and the hateful comments. The cold of the floor beneath her bare feet is a metaphor for the frost she feels in her chest.
The door opens softly. It is Lucas. He is visibly exhausted; the night's tension has taken its toll. The atmosphere between them is dense, charged with unspoken words and perceived betrayal.
“Alicia,” Lucas says, his voice soft, but with an underlying tone of frustration. He tries to take her hand, but she pulls it away slightly.
“Are you here to tell me everything is fine, Uncle?” Alicia asks, without looking up, using the familiar term as a defensive barrier, a reminder of their formal relationship.
Lucas sighs, running his hands through his hair, frustration fighting against his desire to comfort her. He sits down beside her, maintaining a distance. “I’m here to be with you. And to talk about this, because we can’t keep dragging this drama out. What Rogelio did was dirty, and what my uncle did was... authoritarian. But I need you to understand that the root of this is your action. Not theirs. Your impulsiveness.”
Alicia finally lifts her head. Her eyes burn with a mix of pain and resentment. “I know, Lucas. I know it better than anyone. I know I’m responsible. If I hadn't run away, if I had been stronger, none of this would have happened. But you can’t come here and act like I don’t see Carolina reveling in my misfortune. She didn't hesitate to seize the opportunity to be the ‘savior’ in front of the Patriarch, to win over the family and thus gain strong support to be with you; I feel like things are getting worse instead of better.”
Lucas turns completely towards her, his tone shifting to cold and analytical, the tone he uses at the board meeting. “Carolina did the right thing, Alicia. She resolved the crisis before the Patriarch suspended both of us. She acted with a cool head, thinking about the impact on the family image. She didn't allow herself the luxury of emotions, like you did. She sees the power game. That is the difference. That is the lesson you have to learn now that you are joining the company.”
The blow is direct. Alicia shrinks, feeling Lucas’s justification as a betrayal. “You defend her because she is right, Lucas? Because the ‘correct’ action is the one that saves us from a public crisis? She is the one appearing as the heroine in the media, cleaning up the mess of the indulged niece! And you congratulate her, Lucas. You congratulate her for humiliating me!”
Lucas takes a deep breath, his gaze severe. “I defend her because she was strategically correct. And because she has to be. I know you’re upset, but you must understand that every action has a consequence, Alicia. These are the consequences of acting impulsively, of letting your anger get the best of you. Family politics do not forgive weakness. If you want to rule by my side, you have to be impeccable. She was impeccable in her handling.”
Alicia jumps up, unable to remain seated. She walks to the window, looking at her reflection. “And you think I don’t know that, Lucas? Do you think I don’t understand the word ‘consequence’?” Her voice rises, laden with bitterness. “I’m the one on the videos, I’m the one seeing my colleagues treat me like an outcast. It’s all my fault! I know. But it affects me, Lucas. It affects me because I did it trying to prove something… trying to prove that you are not the owner of my life, without thinking that my actions risk our future.”
Lucas stands up and approaches her. “And what were you trying to prove, Alicia? That you could be with someone else because you were upset with me? You have to think clearly. The Patriarch has put you under his supervision; now more than ever we have to be careful.”
Alicia shakes her head, the pain turning into pure rage against herself. “Yes, and I handed it to him on a silver platter! Do you know what hurts the most? That he called me... an indecent woman. That I shamed the family name. And that you couldn't deny it with enough conviction. And now I have that woman by my side, watching me. I did everything wrong!”
Lucas closes the distance, his voice deepening, resonating with a mixture of frustration and desire. “You have to channel that anger. Don’t direct it toward me; direct it toward those who threaten you. You are inexperienced, and I love you too much to let you sink. But you have to listen to me: We have to be smarter if we want what we have to work without problems.”
The pain in her eyes is an invitation to the need he cannot ignore. The rage, the resentment, the guilt—everything needs a release valve.
Lucas takes her face, his grip firm and dominant, forcing her to look into his eyes. The tone of his voice drops to an urgent, deep whisper.
“You are driving me crazy with that guilt. I hate seeing you like this, seeing tears on your face.”
The argument transforms into an outburst of need. Her resentment mixes with the urgency of repressed desire. He wipes her tears, leaning toward her lips, kissing her with intense passion.
“Forgive me,” she pleads, her lips constantly brushing his. “I promise this won’t happen again.”
“I know. Don’t think about this anymore. I don’t want to see any more pain, or sadness on your face. Leave this whole matter to me; I’ll solve it, and in a few days, everything will be forgotten. We are going to show the world with actions who you really are, my Alicia. My love.”
Lucas needs no further permission. The kiss is violent, hungry, a battle of mouths that demands and reclaims. Lucas’s mouth is a weapon, eliminating any trace of doubt or guilt, leaving only the taste of burning desire. His hands dig into her hips, pulling her with a force that eliminates the distance between their bodies.
Lucas pushes her against the wall with controlled ferocity. His hands slide beneath Alicia's clothes, getting rid of the fabric with brutal impatience. He rips the silk blouse she is wearing; the sound of the fabric tearing is an explosion in the room. She gasps, the initial shock turning into overwhelming excitement. The clothes fall to the floor, an offering to the intensity of the moment.