In the blink of an eye, Cherry felt a firm grip on her wrist, halting her thoughts.
It was Rafael.
"She has every right to keep that mask on," he declared, his voice cutting through the tension like a blade. "If she wants her identity private, then nadie tiene el derecho (no one has the right) to force her to show her face!"
Cherry turned to see who had come to her rescue. Her heart skipped a beat. The masked man?
"Hey, who do you think you are to tell us what to do?" someone from the crowd jeered, their tone thick with hostility.
"I'm the guy who'll toss you out of here if you don't shut your mouth," Rafael shot back, his words sharp despite the slur of drunkenness.
"Well, of course, you'd defend her! You're both hiding behind masks!" another voice hollered. "Why not make it fun? Why don't you two unmask yourselves at the same time?"
"Yeah! Let's see your faces!"
A chorus of agreement erupted, the crowd growing more agitated.
