Santiago pauses in front of her and lowers his head in shame, then sits beside her and takes her hands again, continuing to recount all that happened during her absence, visibly ashamed and remorseful.

"I exposed our poor daughter to abuse from her false husband," he says, clenching his jaw tightly, then adds more calmly, "Fortunately, the first time he laid a hand on her, Isabella ran and told my father, who took her to Paris. Then she married Christian and is truly happy with him. But now, as I said, that wretched woman kidnapped the children and was going to kill them, and she's responsible for our daughter being...