In Two Different Places

Estefania 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 appeared constantly in major magazines and at exclusive events alongside his perfect family.

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

The illegitimate daughter.

The living proof of an affair.

The Rosales family had 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 surname she carried.

That morning she sat in silence inside the classroom, copying exercises into a worn notebook.

The convent smelled of dampness, old wood, and weathered books.

It was always the same.

The same walls.

The same rules.

The same loneliness.

A small ball of paper landed on her desk.

Estefania smiled faintly when she recognized Laura's hurried handwriting.

"What's the answer to question number four?"

She discreetly raised her gaze 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 fell silent.

Sister Clara examined the note.

"Who sent this to you?"

Laura stopped breathing behind her.

Estefania barely lowered her gaze.

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

So she lied.

"I found it on the floor."

The nun watched her for several seconds before setting the ruler on the desk.

"Your hands."

Estefania extended her palms without protest.

The first strike burned immediately.

The second made her tense her shoulders.

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

"Corner. Now."

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

"I'm not getting married."

The enormous window behind him showed the entire city.

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

"Then get ready to watch the Castellanos name burn."

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 stared at the figures printed in red on the paper.

Since the accident, everything had been slowly crumbling.

Projects frozen.

Investors pulling out.

Millions in losses.

And he hated feeling vulnerable.

He placed a hand on his cane before rising slowly to his feet.

Every step still reminded him that he was no longer the man he'd been before.

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

"This isn't about saving face," his grandfather replied calmly. "It's a deal."

Alexander frowned.

"What do the Rosales get out of it?"

His grandfather adjusted his cufflinks before answering.

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

Alexander stared at him, not understanding.

The old man continued:

"The Rosales are having trouble with foreign investors. You've been losing major contracts since the accident. A marriage between both families stabilizes the market, quiets the rumors, and lets me invest without raising suspicion."

Alexander gave a dry laugh.

"So this is just business."

"It always has been."

The old man leaned slightly forward.

"For one year, you'll be the perfect image of a powerful alliance."

Alexander clenched his jaw.

He hated being used.

"And how long does this circus last?"

"One year."

At the convent, the class finally ended.

Sister Clara allowed Estefania to leave after several minutes standing against the wall as punishment.

The moment she stepped through the door, Laura rushed toward her.

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

Her friend's dramatic expression drew a small smile out of her.

She gave her a light punch on the shoulder.

"My parents are picking me up today. It's vacation... come with me."

The smile slowly faded from Estefania's face.

"You know I can't leave."

Laura lowered her gaze with sadness.

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

The words echoed in Estefania's head as they walked back to their shared room.

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 term is completed."

"Cohabitation required."

Alexander let out a heavy sigh.

He hated depending on anyone.

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

But he needed to save Castellanos Corporation.

And that was the only thing that mattered.

At the convent, Estefania watched through the tall windows as all the other girls left with their families.

Hugs.

Laughter.

Suitcases.

All of them except her.

The convent grew quieter every time it happened.

"The Mother Superior wants to see you."

Sister Maria's voice made her turn.

Estefania frowned slightly before walking down the long, ancient hallways.

Something in her chest began to feel strange.

As if her life was about to change.

Estefania 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 in front of 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 some whisky 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, Estefania felt her heart race.

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

"I want out."

The answer came too fast.

The woman finally looked at her.

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

"Then you'll get married."

Estefania felt a knot 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 over your head and a comfortable life, as long as you're obedient and don't cause problems."

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

At the convent, Estefania stared at the door behind the woman and thought about everything that awaited her if she stayed locked up in that place.

The same walls.

The same punishments.

The same loneliness.

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

"I accept."

And without knowing it, both of them had just sold a full year of their lives.

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