Days turned into weeks, and Hedro's life began to unravel. The allegations against him gained traction, fueled by the media and mysterious "evidence" that seemed to appear out of nowhere. Investigators raided his hotel room, confiscating his laptop and phone. His business meetings were canceled, and his father's associates began to distance themselves.
Javier was livid.
"What have you done?" he roared during a heated phone call.
"Nothing!" Hedro shouted back. "I didn't do any of this!"
"Then why is your name on everything?" Javier demanded. "You've disgraced this family, Hedro. Until you fix this, you're on your own."
The call ended abruptly, leaving Hedro with nothing but a sinking feeling of betrayal. Even his own father didn't believe him.
Meanwhile, Aliana tried to bury herself in work, but her mind kept drifting back to Hedro. Despite everything, she couldn't shake the feeling that he might be telling the truth. But every time she considered reaching out to him, her fear and doubt held her back.
Then the news broke: Hedro Galván had been arrested.
---
Hedro sat in the cold, sterile interrogation room, his wrists cuffed to the table. The detectives across from him didn't bother hiding their disdain.
"Your company has been under investigation for months," one of them said. "And now we have enough to charge you. Embezzlement, fraud, conspiracy—this is serious, Mr. Galván."
"I didn't do any of it," Hedro said for the hundredth time.
"Then explain this," the detective said, sliding a photograph across the table. It was a grainy image of Hedro standing with a man he didn't recognize. "This is you, isn't it? Meeting with one of the key players in the scheme?"
"That's not me," Hedro insisted. "I've never seen that man before in my life."
The detective snorted. "Sure you haven't."
The door opened, and a lawyer walked in. "That's enough," she said, her tone sharp. "My client isn't saying another word."
Hedro's relief was short-lived. The lawyer, a woman named Sofia, pulled him aside after the interrogation.
"You're in deep trouble," she said bluntly. "The evidence against you is overwhelming. If we can't disprove it, you're looking at years in prison."
Hedro felt the weight of her words like a punch to the gut. "I didn't do it," he said quietly.
"I believe you," Sofia said. "But believing isn't enough. We need proof."
---
Aliana saw the headlines and felt her stomach twist. She wanted to call him, to ask if he was okay, but the memory of their last conversation stopped her.
Tara, her best friend, noticed her distress. "You're still thinking about him, aren't you?"
"I don't know what to believe," Aliana admitted. "What if he's innocent?"
"Then you're abandoning someone who needs you," Tara said bluntly. "And if he's guilty?"
"Then I'm better off without him," Aliana said, though the words felt hollow.
As the days passed, Hedro's trial loomed closer. Alone in his cell, he began to harden. The man who had once believed in love and trust now felt only anger and bitterness. He vowed that if he ever got out, he would never allow himself to be vulnerable again—especially not to Aliana.