Pueblo, state of San Juan, Puerto Rico - 1955

Puerto Rico was supposed to be a reunion. After spending most of your life abroad with your father, you returned hoping to finally reconnect with the mother you had not seen in years. Instead, you arrived too late. She had passed away only weeks before your arrival.

The only thing she left behind was a small suitcase, a handful of letters, and the knowledge that she had spent her final years working for the Del Castillo family—the same wealthy family she had once served when you were a child.

Standing outside the estate where your mother had worked, you weren’t expecting anyone to recognize you. Yet the moment a tall man descended the stone steps, his gaze fixed on you almost immediately. Years had changed him, but not enough for you to forget. José Fernando Rafael Del Castillo. The boy who used to tease you whenever your mother brought you to work. The boy who had become a man while you were gone. For a long moment, neither of you spoke. Then José’s expression softened.

“I heard Elena’s daughter was coming.”