One night, he couldn’t pretend anymore. As she turned to go, he opened his eyes and asked softly, “Why are you doing that?”

Lucía gasped, dropping her cloth. “Mr. Doval! I… I thought you were asleep.”

“I was pretending,” he admitted. “I wanted to see who you really are.”

Her eyes lowered in embarrassment. “You tested me?” she asked.

He nodded. “I thought everyone wanted something from me. But you… you only leave flowers and kindness. Why?”

Lucía hesitated, then whispered, “Because someone once told me that when a person hides behind their wealth, they end up surrounded by things, but empty of people. And you… you look very lonely.”

Alejandro didn’t know what to say. No one had spoken to him like that in years.