Ana couldn't sleep that night, haunted by relentless nightmares. Her tossing and turning eventually drew Anthony to her room. Seeing her distress, he quietly approached and, without hesitation, she asked her twin to lie beside her. She needed him—more than she could say. Anthony held her close, his embrace a steady anchor that gradually eased the trembling in her body and the storm in her mind.
By the following morning, the golden-haired young woman felt displaced, as if living in an alternate reality. The last four years had been nothing short of a waking nightmare, and the normality of the mansion felt almost unreal.
Over the next five days, Ana began to adapt to the household once more. Her parents refrained from pressuring her for answers, while Anthony remained by her side like a protective shadow. Slowly, she felt a fragile thread of happiness returning—a dangerous luxury, because deep inside, she knew Adam would eventually be free. And when that day came, he would come for her. Refusing him was not an option… not in her mind.
Anthony sensed her quiet torment. One afternoon, he decided he could no longer watch her suffer in silence. He wrapped his arms around her, and the touch broke something open—Ana began to cry bitterly, her body trembling as Karin discreetly took little Ismael away to give them privacy. But no matter how gently he asked, she refused to speak. Protecting Anthony's innocence mattered more to her than unburdening herself.
Their parents asked Anthony to step out, wanting a private word with their daughter. Reluctantly, he obeyed, but vowed silently not to give up on her.
Once alone in the library, Nick embraced Ana while Sara began to speak.
— Ana… I know exactly what you're feeling. I know what you've been through.
Ana's eyes narrowed.
— No, Mom. You don't know anything. You can't possibly understand.
Sara's gaze hardened.
— Silent, obedient, and loyal. That's how Perfect Girls are meant to be… isn't that right, Ana?
Ana froze.
— Mom…? You…?
Sara nodded. She revealed that Adam's agency had once taken her too—when she was fifteen. Three years later, Nick's father had bought her as a "gift" for his son. She had been through the same hell.
Ana's composure cracked. Tears fell silently.
— But…
— I spoke out, and they took me again when you and Anthony were babies," Sara said.
— Is that why you were gone for the first seven years of our lives?
— Yes,— Sara whispered.
Nick stepped in.
— Your mother suffered the indescribable. But her courage helped us destroy that agency in our country.
— That's why Adam took you, Ana. To hurt us, — Sara added, voice breaking.
Ana rushed into her mother's arms. For the first time in years, she felt a kinship beyond words. They had endured the same darkness.
— How did you survive, Mom? What did you do?
— I found refuge in your father's love. He brought me back to life.
Ana turned to Nick, eyes shining with desperate hope.
— Father… help me. Please… Dad.
Nick pulled her close.
—Adam has nothing to do with you anymore. You are free. And we will protect you this time. We won't fail.
Sara joined the embrace.
— My brothers are innocent. I don't want them to lose that.
— They will remain as they are,— Nick promised. —And you… you will become a brilliant young woman like your mother.
Ana's love for her father surged back. She was ready to speak. First, she told them everything in the safety of the library. Then, together, they went to the police to make her statement, preparing for trial.
But in court, Adam's defense attorney was razor-sharp. He painted Adam as a victim of aristocratic persecution, twisting facts and insinuating that Ana was a willing participant. The prosecutor fought back, proving with evidence that Ana's silence and compliance had been born of fear.
Facing Adam in the courtroom was torture. His gaze was a blade, sharp with silent threats. Anthony's unseen support and her parents' presence were the only things keeping her upright.
The defense lawyer twisted her words mercilessly. By the end, she was trembling, her body drenched in sweat.
When the verdict came, it felt like the ground vanished beneath her feet—Adam was found innocent. The jury had been bought.
— No!— Ana screamed, her voice breaking — He's guilty! Why?!
Nick held her tightly, exchanging a look with Sara. Sara stepped aside to make a quiet phone call, her eyes cold as steel. Adam's laughter echoed in the corridor.
As they left, Adam confronted them.
Prepare yourselves. I'll sue Ana and her father for damages. You'll lose even your name.
Sara's smile was lethal.
— Done yet?
— No, Sara. I'm just getting started. I'll take Ana with me—permanently.
— Good luck. You'll need it.
Adam walked away furious, and Sara pulled Ana into her arms. Nick began working the press to turn public opinion against Adam and the corrupted jury.