Married life did not hinder Amanda from continuing to help at the church. Pablo turned out to be a better husband than anyone could have imagined. He was passionate, attentive, and fun. He was not jealous, or perhaps he knew how to mask his feelings astonishingly well. The young woman suspected that the criollo considered himself so virtuous that he did not see Father Facundo as a possible threat. But these were mere suppositions, and she longed to know what was really going through her husband's mind."Doesn't it bother you that I go to the church almost every day?" she asked, tracing a finger along Pablo's bare torso as he lay next to her in bed."Should it bother me?" he questioned, shivering slightly as Amanda's caress stopped just below his navel where the sheets began to cover his skin."Any other man would be jealous knowing his wife meets every afternoon with someone she once had feelings for," she commented, continuing to sensually stroke his abdomen."What captivates me about you is that you are a free and brave woman. I won't be the one to limit you or stand in the way of your dreams," he explained, gently nudging Amanda's nose with his."I'm not complaining, but you're quite an enigma, Pablo Ferreira," she confessed."That's not true. It's simple—I like being with you, but I would never hold you back if you wanted to leave..." he began to say, but Amanda stopped him with a kiss."I like being with you too," she added, feeling heat rise to her cheeks.Pablo started kissing her neck, and she entwined her fingers in his hair. While talking about her feelings was sometimes difficult for the young wife, he had taught her perfectly to speak the language of passion. Her husband's caresses made her tremble with pleasure and awakened unique sensations in her. While Father Facundo represented kindness, gentleness, and caution, Pablo was complete madness, passion, and rebellion.When Amanda woke up the next morning, Pablo was still sleeping, hugging her from behind. She avoided moving, not wanting to wake him. She liked feeling his arms around her and hearing the sound of his calm breathing. Though he insisted it was she who controlled the decision to be together, deep down, she feared it was Pablo who might tire of her kisses. She loved the relationship they were building, but what would happen if he decided to return to Magdalena's arms or any other woman's? Was it selfish to hope that Pablo's heart belonged entirely to her when hers seemed divided in two?In the afternoon, Amanda taught literacy classes at the church. She had brought Genesis with her, and Pablo promised to pick her up later for a ride. When her students left, the young woman agreed to have some mate with Father Facundo while waiting for her husband.The priest seemed more comfortable since Amanda had married. Now that she was a señora and no longer lived with him, talking alone posed no threat to his reputation. However, she couldn't help but smile amusedly when, as she approached to serve him mate, the priest's cheeks turned an adorable shade of pink. The father averted his eyes from Amanda's, cleared his throat, and said:"I hoped to have a chance to speak with you alone. It may not be important, but I think it's better that you know," said Facundo, taking a sip of mate."Yes?" she asked, sitting beside him."I overheard Miss Magdalena talking to Juan Bustamante's daughter. They mentioned Sebastián..." he began, avoiding eye contact with her.Amanda's heart seemed to shrink. As far as she knew, Isabel's plan had been convincing. Shortly after being arrested, the suspect died of the plague, and with his soul disappeared the town's interest in the murder."What does he know, Father?" she asked in a faint voice."It seems a coachman claims that this man, Estanislao, arrived in town long after Juan Bustamante's death. Also, Miss Magdalena overheard Sebastián say something he shouldn't have. If young Mariano finds out... I know I shouldn't intervene, but Sebastián was one of the few people who always supported you. Even I ended up turning my back on you, I'm sorry. If I had known you loved Pablo Ferreira, I wouldn't have feared my own weakness. I'm so sorry for being such a bad friend," the father confessed.Amanda placed a hand on the priest's cheek and locked her green eyes with the sweet honey of his gaze."Father, you're mistaken. If it weren't for you not allowing me to stay with you, I might never have looked at Pablo differently... You did nothing wrong in choosing what you thought was right. Letting me stay here and live alone with you would have been nothing but a mistake. A very sweet mistake," she said, gently removing her hand from the priest's cheek."If only you had come into my life before God called me to be among His ranks, everything could have been different," he added, lowering his gaze.Amanda felt her heart shrink. Perhaps in another life, they could have been together, but as Father Facundo had said, she had arrived too late."With your permission, Father, I must go save my cousin's life. I hope this time I'm not too late," she said, kissing the priest's forehead tenderly before leaving the small kitchen.Her eyes stung, but she had already shed too many tears over how others' decisions affected her. She had lost to an omnipotent and almighty God in her war for the priest's love. There was no disgrace in that defeat, considering the magnitude of her opponent.While riding, she fleetingly thought of Pablo and the promise he made to pick her up. She convinced herself that the criollo wouldn't be upset. She was almost sure he would understand why she couldn't wait for him at the church.She raced across the fields, bent over Genesis, who carried her to La Rosa at the speed of the wind. Upon arrival, she knocked on the door, and Sofía answered."Call Sebastián!" she ordered without greeting. There was no time for formalities.Sofía frowned but obeyed without question."Cousin!" Sebastián greeted, his smile fading upon seeing Amanda's expression.She approached and whispered everything Father Facundo knew about Magdalena de Toledo y Rojas's suspicions into his ear. When they separated, she noticed her hands were trembling. She couldn't bear the thought of Sebastián being hanged or locked in a cell at the Cabildo to live in deplorable conditions. He was the only family member who had always given her unconditional support."I understand," he simply said."There has to be a way," Amanda insisted desperately.The young woman noticed Diego, her mother, and her uncles had just entered the room and were watching them with concern. Even Alister III, hiding behind Sofía, seemed to sense something was wrong."What's going on? Did the criollo hurt you?" her mother ventured nervously.Amanda quickly shook her head but didn't respond. She felt that if she started talking, she wouldn't be able to stop crying. She was still angry with everyone for having exiled her from the family so mercilessly, but it comforted her to know that at least now her mother cared about her well-being."Mom, Dad... I have something to tell you," Sebastián said, his expression reminding Amanda of when he was just a boy playing with her in the fields of Spain.Amanda silently prayed to God to give Sebastián another chance. Although the young man might have made a terrible mistake, he was not a bad person. From the depths of her soul, she asked for forgiveness and promised that if her cousin was saved from a fatal fate, she would forever renounce her love for Father Facundo. She would stay away from the priest and not let him stray from his path. Though he had already made his choice, now she would also accept his decision.