Fati woke up early, her eyes wandering around the unfamiliar room before turning to the other side of the bed. There lay Jaguar, deeply asleep. She studied his face; he was truly handsome in his profound stillness. She raised her hand, tracing the bridge of his nose in the air without touching him, as if sketching his features into her memory.
Jaguar suddenly sighed, and she jerked her hand back, her heart racing. He shifted restlessly, the covers slipping from his shoulder and chest, revealing his white shirt with its buttons undone and the prominent muscles that spoke of a strength masked by yesterday's exhaustion. An involuntary smile touched her lips, but she quickly pulled up her defenses, whispering to herself,
"No, Fati... don't look too closely. He doesn't want you... he was only pitying you yesterday."
She tried to slip out of bed quietly, but froze; a lock of her hair was caught between his fingers, as if he had bound her to him intentionally, or as if his soul refused to let any part of her wander away. She whispered softly,
- Jaguar... I need to go to the bathroom.
He didn't release the lock; instead, he pulled it closer to his chest, and in a husky, sleepy voice, without opening his eyes, he murmured:
- Why the rush? It's still early...
Without realizing it, a tender smile played on her lips. She loved this intimate atmosphere, this peace surrounding them. She whispered to herself,
"If only he had treated me like this from the beginning... everything would be different now."
She wouldn't have felt such deprivation, or the lowliness that had haunted her soul. With a playful pout, she blew a puff of air onto his face and said coquettishly,
- Please, Jaguar... it's urgent!
He tightened his grip on her lock of hair and her waist, his voice husky and full of longing:
- Yes... and I also need you to be in my arms.
A melodic laugh rang through the room, as Fati couldn't believe his bold words. Suddenly, Jaguar opened his eyes, realizing she was truly there, laughing and filling the world with life. He said dreamily,
- Can't we stay like this forever, Fati?
She stammered shyly,
- But I need to...
Before she could finish, he scooped her up from the bed and carried her toward the bathroom, saying mischievously,
- Since I don't want to leave your embrace... how about we share the bath?
Fati jolted in his arms, her face turning a deep crimson. She gathered all her strength to push him out of the bathroom, slamming the door shut as she shouted in embarrassment,
- No! Not this... and definitely not here!
She tried to steady her breath, recalling his sudden boldness. She had to remind him and herself that she was no longer the Fati who clung to his shadow; she was the Fati who had resolved to part ways without looking back. She pressed her hand against her heart, which was pounding so violently it felt as if it were rebelling against her decision, refusing to leave its place beside Jaguar. She whispered bitterly,
- You may be sad now, my poor heart, but this is for the best. His love will only bring you more sorrow.
She looked at her reflection in the mirror; her kohl had smudged and streaked down her face from yesterday's relentless weeping, etching a visible tragedy onto her features. She washed her face, making a new vow: she must confront her father. She must discover who the real "Rosie" was, even if she had to hire a private investigator to rebuild her lost world and connect her with the family she believed was waiting for her somewhere with love.
She would wait for his grandfather's full recovery, and only then... would she use his survival as her final bargaining chip to win her freedom from Jaguar.
She glanced at the robe hanging in the corner, deciding to surrender to a hot bath to soothe the lingering headache from yesterday's relentless weeping. As she prepared to step under the shower, Jaguar's voice cut through the stillness from behind the door:
- Fati, we'll have breakfast together.
She called back, struggling to keep her voice steady,
- Alright, I'll just shower and be out.
Then came his sudden, playful question:
- Shall I join you?
Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around herself as if he could see through the walls, shouting in a mix of panic and embarrassment,
- Of course not!
His loud laughter from outside brought her back to reality; she realized she was in a state of desperate defense, and that peace would remain elusive as long as he was near. She stepped under the warm spray, letting the water flow over her weary body, trying to wash away the thoughts that threatened her resolve. Twenty seven years of rejection and isolation, spent forcing herself to be strong and now, she was finally crumbling, unable to face herself or the world.
Outside on the balcony, Jaguar sat observing the sand clinging to his clothes; dust covered everything, but it didn't matter to him. Having Fati here, under the same roof, outweighed the entire world. The ringing of his phone broke his train of thought it was his grandfather's secretary. It seemed the grandfather hadn't just regained his health, but also his army and his invincible authority.
- Grandfather... are you alright?
Jaguar answered eagerly. The grandfather's voice came through, angry and powerful as it had always been, as if the years of the coma hadn't touched his stern tone:
- Where are you? And why haven't you come to visit me yet? I woke up from a coma that lasted years, and you haven't even bothered to show up!
Jaguar replied with a submission he showed to no one else,
- I apologize... I am in a remote area. I will take the first flight and return today.
But the grandfather wasn't satisfied with apologies; he issued his final command in a tone that brooked no argument:
- I don't care where you are... I want to meet my granddaughter! Bring her to me, immediately.
Jaguar spoke calmly, attempting to absorb the old man's fury:
- Grandfather... can you wait a little longer? Just give me a few days.
The grandfather's response struck like a thunderbolt, born from a lifetime in a world that believed only in self interest:
- It seems you haven't informed her that she's my granddaughter yet!
Jaguar replied with bitter honesty,
- No... I haven't done so yet.
The grandfather continued in a poisoned tone:
- What? Are you afraid she might share your inheritance?
Such a thought had never crossed Jaguar's mind, for he saw Fati as his life, not his fortune. He replied with muffled sharpness,
- Grandfather... are you doubting me now?
At that moment, the bathroom door opened, releasing a cloud of warm steam, and Fati stepped out in a white bathrobe. Her features had softened, and in her mind was the intention to build bridges of peace. She had decided to open a temporary new chapter with Jaguar as friends, hoping this calm might change the course of their future together unaware that behind the door, a conversation was unfolding that would turn her world upside down.
- Maybe he'll fall in love with me,
Fati whispered to herself.
- Don't I deserve to feel wanted just once in my life?
She decided not to dress, letting the water droplets trail from her wet hair like pearls on her shoulders. She stepped toward the balcony where the curtains danced in the breeze, but she froze as Jaguar's voice reached her ears:
- No... she doesn't know her mother, Rosie, died giving birth to her. She believes she's still alive.
Fati pressed her hand over her mouth to stifle a scream that threatened to tear her chest apart. The shock of her mother's death was enough, but the second bombshell was even more devastating:
- Wasn't it I who married her for revenge? Have you forgotten? I spent all these years seeking revenge for a sin she never committed!
Fati staggered, the world spinning around her. She recoiled with a trembling body, and on her way to the bathroom, she struck a vase sitting on the cabinet near the window. The vase fell and shattered, its shards scattering everywhere like the fragments of her broken heart. She didn't look back; she dragged what remained of her dignity and slammed the bathroom door shut, leaving Jaguar to face the echo of the shattering.