And with that, she walked away.
Alejandro stood frozen.
People usually accepted his offers immediately.
No one refused him so naturally.
Especially not without fear.
That night, he barely slept.
A Different Kind of Proposal
The following morning, Alejandro returned to the restaurant.
This time, without the business card.
And without arrogance.
“I’d like you to spend time with my mother,” he told Valeria honestly. “Not as a caregiver. Just… as someone who sees her as a person.”
Valeria hesitated.
“Why me?”
“Because kindness like yours can’t be performed,” he replied. “It’s real.”
Then he offered her a salary more than three times what she currently earned.
Valeria stared at him in disbelief.
“That’s too much.”
“No,” Alejandro answered softly. “My mother is worth it.”
Before she could respond, Doña Mercedes suddenly spoke.
“You remind me of someone.”
“Who?” Valeria asked.
“A young woman named Clara.”
Alejandro immediately stiffened.
