Santiago broke the tense silence, his deep voice steady but laced with curiosity. “It’s been what, five months?” he asked, his eyes still darting briefly to her stomach. “What are you doing in this part of town?”
Esmeralda squared her shoulders, her voice calm but edged with defensiveness. “If you’d been paying attention, you would have heard your wife call me ‘the manager,’” she said. “I work here. I manage this boutique.”
Santiago tilted his head slightly, her words sinking in. He gave a slow nod, his gaze sweeping the store briefly before landing back on her. “We need to talk,” he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Esmeralda exhaled quietly, glancing around at the store and the staff who were still visibly on edge from Lale’s earlier outburst. “You’re right,” she said after
