The Shadow of Rumor
But not everyone was pleased with the warmth returning to the Doval mansion.
Mrs. Ramos, who had served Alejandro’s family for decades, began to whisper — first to the staff, then to the neighbors.
“She’s enchanting him,” she muttered. “A maid with soft eyes and quiet words — they always end in disaster.”
When the rumor reached Alejandro’s business circle, Javier’s voice was the loudest again. “You’re falling for your maid, my friend. Be careful — affection makes fools even of kings.”
Alejandro laughed it off in public, but at night, those words poisoned his mind. Doubt crept in where trust had begun to bloom.
The next morning, when Lucía arrived for work, the butler handed her a sealed envelope. Her salary — and a short note written in Alejandro’s own hand:
“You’ve been kind, Lucía. But it’s best you leave before people twist kindness into scandal. Take care.”
