FIVE MILLION FOR ONE NIGHT

g dress hanging in front of

monds sewn into the fabric. A dress that cost mo

mine. None of

zipping me up from behind. Her hands were sha

a liar," I wh

t. This morning, a team of stylists had arrived at my tiny apartment at 6 AM. They had push

I was the luckie

daughter had sold he

the stylists couldn't hear. "You can still run. We

n, Mama dies. The surgery is

me, Sofia. Alejandro De la Vega... people

art stopped.

uld answer, t

go, Miss

ng. The same cold dr

cked wall. The old photos of my father. The tiny ki

old life,

black car and d

-

not a wedding.

was watching from her hospital bed on video call. No

Vega! Look h

e. That was in the cont

fect black suit. He looked like a

ooks at a bride. He looked at me li

you take this woman?", he

d

was firm.

went dry. My hands were shaking so

ez, do you t

ust one second, his cold mask slipped. I sa

was just as tr

" I wh

to my finger. It wa

may kiss

ked about this. There was nothi

came closer and closer. The whole world

ay, everyone would

losed

s touch

ake. A show for the cam

it w

eacted like electricity had run through me. My knees went weak. M

two seconds, but those two

t about the contract. I forgot about

remembe

in his eyes, he

-

silent when we a

t a huge, empty house and a m

rs. De la Vega," she

. Not o

ntract. Separate rooms. No

king bed, a balcony overlooking Madrid, a closet ful

bought me a

, still in my wedding dress,

a Vega. I was rich. And I had

the door ma

I said, wip

f his suit into a black shirt. He look

coming inside. Keeping his di

gery was successfu

. "What?

called. She is awake.

bed with relief. "Thank yo

, his voice hard again. "

leave, but th

"My family... they will not accept you easily. Especially my grandmoth

ndmother?

And So

at me. His eyes we

into the west wing of this ho

ing? Why? W

ns you," he said col

e door and l

dress, staring at the clos

in the

oice shake wh

issed me today, di

and looked out at Mad

s. De la

my real story was

ng was hiding t