Episode 1

Estefanía Rosales was nineteen years old, and her entire life had been spent as an uncomfortable secret.

Her father was a powerful man. Rich. Respected. The kind of businessman whose smile graced magazine covers and exclusive events alongside his perfect family.

She, on the other hand, was the mistake hidden behind that perfect image.

The illegitimate daughter.

Living proof of an affair.

The Rosales family agreed to take responsibility for her on one condition: keep her far away.

That was how she ended up growing up in a convent.

Far from the city.

Far from her father.

Far from the last name she carried.

That morning, she sat in silence inside the classroom, copying exercises into an old notebook. The convent smelled of damp walls, aged wood, and worn-out books.

It was always the same.

The same walls.

The same rules.

The same loneliness.

A small paper ball landed on her desk.

Estefanía barely smiled when she recognized Laura's rushed handwriting.

"What's the answer to question four?"

She discreetly glanced toward her friend, who was making dramatic gestures from the back row.

She was about to respond when a hand snatched the paper away.

The entire classroom went silent.

Sister Clara slowly examined the note.

"Who sent you this?"

Laura stopped breathing behind her.

Estefanía lowered her gaze slightly.

Her friend was one strike away from expulsion. If that happened, she'd have to go back to a family already exhausted from their daughter being kicked out of every school.

So she lied.

"I found it on the floor."

The nun studied her for several seconds before placing the ruler on the desk.

"Your hands."

Estefanía extended her palms without protest.

The first strike burned immediately.

The second forced her shoulders to tense.

By the third, the pain was crawling up her arms.

"Corner. Now."

As she walked slowly toward the corner of the room under the uncomfortable stares of the other girls, miles away, Alexander Castellanos threw a folder onto the glass desk of his office.

"I'm not getting married."

The massive window behind him displayed the entire city.

His grandfather sat across the desk with a calm that only managed to irritate him further.

"Then prepare to watch the Castellanos name dragged through the mud."

Alexander let out a bitter laugh.

"My company doesn't need a marriage to stay on its feet."

The old man slid several documents toward him.

"Your company needs money. A lot of money."

The silence turned heavy.

Alexander studied the figures printed in red.

Since the accident, everything had begun to crumble.

Stalled projects.

Investors pulling out.

Millions in losses.

And he hated feeling vulnerable.

He pressed one hand against the cane before standing slowly. Every step still reminded him he wasn't the man he used to be.

"I'm not marrying some rich girl just to save appearances."

"This isn't about appearances," the old man replied calmly. "It's a deal."

Alexander narrowed his eyes.

"What does the Rosales family get out of it?"

His grandfather adjusted his cufflinks slowly before answering.

"I'll put up the money to save both companies."

Alexander stared at him, not understanding.

The old man continued.

"The Rosales have problems with foreign investors. You've been losing major contracts since the accident. A marriage between both families stabilizes the market, calms the rumors, and allows me to invest without raising suspicion."

Alexander let out a dry laugh.

"So this is just business."

"It always has been."

The old man leaned slightly forward.

"For one year, you two will be the perfect image of a powerful alliance."

Alexander clenched his jaw.

He hated feeling used.

"And how long does this circus last?"

"One year."

At the convent, the class finally ended.

Sister Clara allowed Estefanía to leave after several minutes of punishment against the wall.

The moment she crossed the doorway, Laura ran toward her.

"I'm so, so sorry. You can hit me if you want."

Her friend's dramatic expression pulled a small smile from her.

She gave her a light punch on the shoulder.

"My parents are coming for me today. It's vacation... come with me."

The smile slowly disappeared from Estefanía's face.

"You know I can't leave."

Laura lowered her eyes sadly.

"It's not fair. They never visit you, and they won't let you see the world outside either."

The words lingered in Estefanía's mind as they walked back to the shared bedroom.

Because Laura was right.

She wasn't living.

She was just existing.

While she helped her friend pack clothes into a suitcase, Alexander was still staring at the marriage contract on his desk.

"Mandatory duration of one year."

"Neither party may request separation or divorce before the end of the term."

"Mandatory cohabitation."

Alexander let out a heavy sigh.

He hated depending on anyone.

Even more so on a deal entirely controlled by his grandfather.

But he needed to save Castellanos Corporation.

And that was the only thing that mattered.

At the convent, Estefanía watched from the tall windows as all the other girls went home with their families.

Hugs.

Laughter.

Suitcases.

Everyone but her.

The convent grew more silent each time this happened.

"The Mother Superior wants to see you."

Sister María's voice made her turn.

Estefanía frowned slightly before walking through the long, ancient hallways.

Something in her chest began to feel strange.

As if her life was about to change.

She knocked on the office door.

"Come in."

Inside, she found an elegantly dressed woman seated by the window.

She recognized her immediately.

Her father's wife.

The Mother Superior gestured toward the chair across the desk.

"I'll leave you two alone."

The door closed.

The silence turned uncomfortable.

The woman didn't even look at her at first.

"I have a deal for you."

In the Castellanos office, Alexander poured himself a whiskey without taking his eyes off the city.

"And if I refuse?"

His grandfather barely smiled.

"Then I'll let the company fall. And not just yours... the Rosales' too."

Alexander finally signed the preliminary agreement.

At the convent, Estefanía felt her heart race.

"You can stay here until you die... or walk out of this place today."

"I want to leave."

The answer came out too fast.

The woman finally looked at her.

And her eyes were as cold as someone used to buying everything.

"Then you'll get married."

Estefanía felt a knot tighten in her throat.

"Married? To who?"

"To the heir of the Castellanos family. It'll be a one-year marriage. You'll have a roof and a comfortable life, as long as you're obedient and don't cause problems."

At Castellanos Corporation, Alexander took the pen and signed the documents without hesitation.

At the convent, Estefanía stared at the door behind the woman and thought about the entire life waiting for her if she stayed locked in there.

The same walls.

The same punishments.

The same loneliness.

The woman was already walking toward the exit when Estefanía spoke quickly.

"I accept."

And without knowing it, both of them had just sold an entire year of their lives.

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