Chapter Six: The Secret Behind the Marriage
Chapter Six: The Secret Behind the Marriage
The Santillán mansion had always been a symbol of victory.
For decades, every guest who walked through its golden doors saw only success.
The marble floors.
The priceless paintings.
The endless celebrations.
But now...
The mansion felt like a museum of forgotten glory.
The servants walked quietly.
The family members avoided each other's eyes.
The laughter that once filled the halls had disappeared.
Because everyone had begun asking the same question.
What happens when the Santillán name is no longer enough?
Rodrigo sat alone in the library.
For hours, he had been reviewing documents.
Not business documents.
Personal ones.
The investigation into Camila.
The one his mother ordered before the wedding.
He had read the same pages over and over.
Her education.
Her work history.
Her mother's background.
Everything seemed ordinary.
Too ordinary.
And now he finally understood.
That was the point.
Someone had hidden her life so perfectly that ordinary was the only thing anyone could find.
A knock interrupted his thoughts.
He looked up.
"Come in."
His father, Alejandro Santillán Sr., entered slowly.
Unlike Isabella, he had never been a loud man.
His power came from silence.
But tonight...
He looked tired.
"You're still investigating her?"
Rodrigo closed the file.
"Did you know?"
His father stopped.
"Know what?"
"About Camila."
The silence answered before the words did.
Rodrigo stood.
"You knew."
His father sighed.
"I suspected."
"How?"
"Your mother found inconsistencies."
"She chose not to investigate further."
"Why?"
His father looked toward the window.
"Because she thought Camila was exactly what we needed."
Rodrigo frowned.
"What does that mean?"
"Your mother wanted a peaceful bride."
"Someone intelligent enough to improve the family's image."
"Someone without a powerful family behind her."
Rodrigo's expression hardened.
"So she chose Camila because she thought she was harmless."
His father didn't deny it.
"Yes."
A painful realization settled over Rodrigo.
His marriage had never been about love.
Not from his family's side.
It had been a strategy.
A business arrangement disguised as romance.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
Rodrigo's voice was quiet.
His father looked away.
"Because I didn't know enough."
"And because..."
He hesitated.
"Because I have spent my entire life letting your mother make decisions."
That sentence shocked Rodrigo.
His father had always seemed untouchable.
The chairman.
The businessman.
The man everyone feared.
Yet inside the family...
He had been silent too.
Just like Rodrigo.
A different generation.
The same mistake.
Meanwhile, Camila was learning something she never expected.
The De la Vega family was not built on fear.
It was built on loyalty.
That surprised her more than the wealth.
At lunch, she sat with employees from different departments.
Not executives.
Regular workers.
A young analyst.
A receptionist.
A security coordinator.
They spoke with her naturally.
No fake compliments.
No fear.
One employee named Mateo smiled.
"Your grandfather always says the same thing."
Camila looked curious.
"What?"
"An empire is not measured by how many people work under you."
"It's measured by how many people would stand beside you when everything falls."
She looked around the room.
And she understood.
That was the difference.
The Santilláns had people who obeyed them.
The De la Vegas had people who believed in them.
That afternoon, Gabriel arrived with unexpected news.
"Miss Camila."
"Yes?"
"There is something you should know."
His expression was unusually serious.
She placed her cup down.
"What happened?"
"We discovered why your marriage was arranged so quickly."
Camila frowned.
"What do you mean?"
Gabriel opened a file.
Inside was a copy of an old agreement.
Not a wedding agreement.
A business agreement.
Between the Santillán Group...
And another corporation.
Camila scanned the document.
Her eyes narrowed.
"What is this?"
"A merger plan."
"Between our families?"
"No."
Gabriel paused.
"Between the Santillán Group and a rival company."
Camila continued reading.
The document was dated six months before her wedding.
Her expression changed.
"They didn't want me."
"No."
"They wanted access."
Gabriel nodded.
"Your marriage created the perfect distraction."
She looked up.
"Explain."
"The Santillán family was facing financial pressure months before your wedding."
"They needed new investors."
"But their reputation was declining."
"So they needed a story."
"A beautiful wedding."
"A respectable bride."
"A public image of stability."
Camila slowly closed the file.
"They used me."
"Yes."
The word was painful because it confirmed what she already felt.
Not because she loved Rodrigo.
Because she had believed the marriage was genuine.
That evening, Rodrigo arrived at the De la Vega estate.
Security immediately recognized him.
But they did not welcome him.
They simply informed Gabriel.
Camila saw him through the window.
She almost told them to send him away.
Almost.
But something stopped her.
"Let him in."
Minutes later, Rodrigo stood before her.
For the first time since their wedding...
He looked nervous.
Not like the heir of the Santillán empire.
Just a man who knew he had failed someone.
"Camila."
She nodded.
"Rodrigo."
"I owe you an apology."
She waited.
He looked around.
The difference between this place and his family home was obvious.
Not because of the size.
Because of the atmosphere.
"Everything I believed about you..."
"I was wrong."
Camila remained silent.
"I thought you hid things from me because you didn't trust me."
"But I understand now."
"You were protecting yourself."
She looked at him.
"Why are you here?"
He swallowed.
"Because I found something."
He placed a folder on the table.
Camila opened it.
Inside were copies of emails.
Messages between Isabella and Santillán executives.
Her name appeared repeatedly.
Not as a person.
As an asset.
Potential marriage candidate.
Low-risk background.
No significant family connections.
Suitable for public relations improvement.
Camila stared at the words.
For several seconds...
She said nothing.
Then she closed the folder.
Slowly.
Carefully.
"Did you know?"
Rodrigo answered immediately.
"No."
"Not until today."
She studied his face.
He looked sincere.
That almost made it harder.
Because anger was easier when someone was a villain.
But Rodrigo wasn't.
He was a man trapped by the same family system that had hurt her.
"I should have protected you."
His voice cracked slightly.
"I should have stood beside you."
Camila looked away.
"Yes."
The honesty surprised him.
She continued.
"I don't need you to fight my battles."
"I needed you to stand next to me when they started."
Rodrigo lowered his head.
"I know."
The silence between them lasted a long time.
Finally, Camila spoke.
"The marriage can still be fixed."
Hope appeared in his eyes.
Then she continued.
"But not the way your family wanted."
"What do you mean?"
She looked directly at him.
"If we continue..."
"It won't be because of business."
"It won't be because of reputation."
"It won't be because our families benefit."
"It will only happen if we choose each other."
Rodrigo nodded slowly.
For the first time...
He realized that winning Camila back would be harder than fighting any competitor.
Because money could buy influence.
Power could create fear.
But trust...
Trust had to be rebuilt one broken piece at a time.
That night, Isabella received an unexpected visitor.
A man she had not seen in ten years.
He entered her private office without waiting.
She immediately recognized him.
"Victor."
The man smiled.
"Still as welcoming as ever, Isabella."
She narrowed her eyes.
"What do you want?"
He placed a document on her desk.
"I heard you're having trouble."
"I heard a certain family has decided to wake up."
Her expression changed.
"You know Alejandro de la Vega."
Victor laughed softly.
"Everyone who matters knows Alejandro."
He leaned forward.
"But what you don't know..."
"...is that Camila is not just his granddaughter."
Isabella stared.
"What are you saying?"
Victor smiled.
"I'm saying you didn't humiliate an innocent bride."
"You humiliated the heir of a dynasty."
The room went silent.
"And now..."
He tapped the document.
"You need to decide whether you want to fight..."
"...or survive."
For the first time in decades...
Isabella Santillán felt something she hated.
Not defeat.
Not fear.
Something worse.
Regret.
Because she finally understood the truth.
The woman she slapped in her mansion...
Was never the person with the least power in the room.
May you like
She was the person who had been hiding the most.
End of Chapter Six
