Sofía stood near the door, trying to steady her breathing.
He gestured to the chair in front of him.
“Please sit.”
She remained standing.
“If this is about that night,” she said, her voice trembling, “I did what I had to do to save my brother. But I won’t do it again.”
Alejandro closed his eyes briefly, as if her words had struck him.
“That’s exactly why I asked you here,” he said. “Because what happened should never have happened.”
Sofía frowned.
He slid a folder across the desk.
Inside were legal documents, medical receipts, and a bank statement showing that Julian’s entire treatment had been paid in full.
“There is no debt,” Alejandro said quietly. “There never was.”
Sofía looked up in confusion.
“What do you mean?”
Alejandro exhaled slowly.
“The hospital belongs to my family. When you came to me that night, I had already arranged for your brother to receive treatment at no cost.”
She stared at him, unable to process his words.
“Then why did you…”
His voice broke.
“Because I wanted to know whether you were the kind of person I believed you were.”
Tears welled in Sofía’s eyes.
“You humiliated me to test me?”
“No,” he said quickly. “I asked you to spend one night with me, but I never intended to touch you.”
Memories flashed through her mind: the long conversation, the untouched bed, the check and the note.
Alejandro lowered his gaze.
“I grew up surrounded by people who lied, manipulated, and pretended to care. I wanted to know if someone could still love selflessly.”
Sofía’s anger rose.
