The walls felt closer.
“You said ‘old man’s last night,’” I said.
Marina closed her eyes.
Then opened them again.
“Yes,” she said.
“Because we thought it might be.”
Everything inside me went quiet again.
But this time—
It wasn’t shock.
It was understanding.
Slow.
Reluctant.
Painful.
“And the medicine?” I asked.
“You were supposed to start the new dosage today,” she said. “I crushed it into your coffee this morning.”
I stared at her.
“You drugged me?”
“I saved you,” she said, tears falling now. “Because you wouldn’t save yourself.”
Silence.
Deep.
Unavoidable.
I looked at Emiliano.
He was watching all of us.
Confused.
Scared.
Trying to piece together something too big for him.
I knelt down in front of him.
“Hey,” I said softly.
He blinked.
“So… Mom’s not trying to hurt you?” he asked.
I hesitated.
Then I smiled.
A small one.
“No,” I said. “She’s trying to keep me alive.”
He let out a shaky breath.
Then threw his arms around me.
“I thought…” he whispered.
“I know,” I said, holding him tight. “I know.”
I looked up.
At Marina.
At Daniela.
At Héctor.
And for the first time—
I saw it.
Not conspiracy.
Not betrayal.
Fear.
Their fear.
For me.
“I should have told you,” Marina said quietly.
I nodded.
“Yes,” I said.
