The strong blows of the police baton against the bars of my cell wake me up abruptly...

—MONTECARLO, it’s time to get up, or should I remind the "princess" that this is not her luxurious mansion? This is your cell, and it’s where you will spend most of your life; you should get used to it, "princess," hahahaha... Oh, and I remind you that there are rules here.— I hear the coarse words of the most despicable guard working in the high-security women's prison in the vast city of Buenos Aires.

This guard hates me, simply because I refuse to be bribed by her, which is why she behaves so grotesquely and violently towards me.

I sit for a moment on the concrete floor, with a thin mattress that slightly protects my back from the cold, looking around, and once again I realize that I will never get used to this cell of barely 2.5 square meters, with its gray, stained, and above all, cold walls.

I know I must get up because the guard that everyone here calls "the bully Perez" will come back to bang on the bars of my cell, and it’s better not to give her reasons to punish me.

The first thing that crosses my mind is that today is a gloomy day, although in this place, almost every day is the same: long and unbearable.

But this day feels worse, cold and colorless, like the walls of this cell, where I have been deprived of my freedom for nine eternal years, and today, precisely today, it marks that milestone.

The saddest part of all is that today is also my 27th birthday, but turning a year older is not a reason for joy; this day fills me with rage, bitterness, and anger—so much anger.

What good is life to me? What good is it to be young, healthy, to have so much money? What good is it to be beautiful, having inherited my Mother's precious golden eyes, like those of my Father and my grandfather? What good does it do to be the sole descendant of the Montecarlo lineage?

Here, none of that matters, and none of that has helped me.

Some people say that having money helps, and it may be true.

!!When you let yourself be bribed!!.

But my parents taught me that giving in to bribery is contributing to corruption, and if there’s one thing I want in life, it’s to honor my parents and their teachings, which has caused many people here to hate me.

I will never get accustomed to this reality—how could I?—and especially knowing that those responsible for this misfortune are free, happy, and enjoying my fortune.

But I swear that the day I get out of this prison, I will make the Montiel family pay, including the bastard who made me believe he was in love with me, that damned man who, with just the touch of his fingers on my skin, made me delirious with pleasure, who made me dream awake so many times, and that now just thinking of his name fills me with horror.

He told me so many times that he loved me, and I believed him.

Now I know he did it just to gain my trust and trap me in the cruelest way.

Yes, "Valente Montiel" is the man I detest with all my being.

He will someday know that he shouldn’t have gotten involved with me. One day I will be standing in front of him; I will see those blue eyes again, which pretended to look at me with love and admiration, those eyes that I still have etched in my mind, those that on the day of my sentencing were fixed on me, but that time with accusation and disappointment for having taken his father’s life. Those eyes will look at me and plead for my forgiveness, but I will have no compassion; I owe it to my Daniela, I owe it to my Nana, and I owe it to myself.

I am... Mia Montecarlo, and I won't rest until I see Valente Montiel and his disgusting family begging for my forgiveness.

I am filled with hatred, bitterness, and thirst for vengeance; that is what resides in my heart, and there is no room for anything else.

The sweet girl who needed affection for being alone, "died." The Mia who was trusting, kind, and naive no longer exists.

Now I am this—a woman who only thinks of revenge.

Because while it's true that I killed a man, I did it to defend my best friend; no one can imagine the horror I felt as I watched that damned Oscar Montiel abusing Dani. I was only 18 years old, and that day, which should have been filled with joy and hope, turned into my worst nightmare.

Seeing my friend, unable to defend herself, immobilized by the grotesque hands of that disgusting and repulsive man, made me kill him without hesitation.

Every time I think of that moment, I tell myself the same thing: I regret nothing.

"I would kill him again."

That damned man was supposedly a partner of my father, and in order to stay in my company and take part of my inheritance, he devised a plan to harm me. But I didn't kill him for that; I couldn't care less about the money. I did it for abusing my best friend. That's why I killed Oscar Montiel, and if I could turn back time, I would always do it, but this time, I would do it before that scoundrel could hurt her.

Daniela, whom I considered my sister, died; before dying, she knew that it had all been a trap and that both she and I fell into it.

The plan of those evil people was for Dani to die and for me to be framed as the culprit.

Their main idea was for me to be in jail while he remained free, taking everything my parents left me. But things turned out differently, as the filthy bastard decided to violate my friend; I caught him in the act, and that gave me the strength from within to shoot at him.

Yet even with his death, he did not pay for the damage he inflicted on Daniela.

My best friend suffered from depression, anxiety, and panic attacks and battled with that for three long years. Nothing could pull her out of the darkness that came from enduring abuse; in the end, she died of sadness, disappointed by the injustice of the laws and of life itself.

The depression was so strong that she couldn't eat, and the lack of nourishment, combined with the difficult emotional illness, weakened her immune system until her body fell ill and did not respond to medical treatments.

But I, I will not only avenge her death, I will avenge every tear my dear Nana Sofia has shed, I will take revenge for every day I have spent locked up, for every mistreatment endured, for every beating, and for this bitterness they instilled in me...

Again, the banging on the bars of my cell pulls me from my thoughts.

The bully Perez is opening the gates, and I see my cellmate, Rebeca Lizalde, walking in...

(Mia)

I get up from the hard concrete slab that serves as my bed when I see Rebeca Lizalde, my cellmate.

To be honest, I don't know what time she went out; all I know is that she comes in with a silly smile.

Seeing her makes me realize that no matter how much I want to forget that it's my birthday, I can't, and she's making sure to remind me of it because she has a mini cake in her hands with a lit candle.

"Rebe, get that stupid cake out of my sight."I say, swatting at the ridiculous cake, which falls to the floor.

"Hey!!..."

Why do you always have to be so violent and a party pooper?—Rebe tells me, one of the few tolerable people in this damned prison.

"You know I hate what you're doing, and still, you insist on bothering me."I tell the beautiful brown-haired woman with brown eyes, 38 years old, who is only a year away from serving her sentence, here for killing an abuser, though she received fewer years in prison than I did.

"Oh, Mia... Why are you so cold? You need to change because bitterness kills the soul."She tells me calmly, picking up the little cake and eating it even though it's dirty.

"I'm sorry, Rebeca; you know I have a heart of stone, and with the passage of the years, it becomes harder."I say to my companion.

"You don’t have a heart of stone, Mia, you have a heart of ice, but I know that one day, you'll find the warmest person who can melt that heart. Then what you truly are will shine through, because inside that shell you've put up, there is a kind, generous, and just woman."

Mia, you’re just as beautiful inside as you are outside, or do you think it's a coincidence that everyone here hates you? They do it because they envy you.

Look at you; you're the most precious woman I've ever seen. Look at that angelic face you have, that body, mmm, and that butt... thank goodness I'm straight, otherwise, honey, I’d eat you up at night!! Taking advantage that we’re in the same cell, hahahahaha.—She says, making gestures as if eating something delicious and laughing uncontrollably.

"You're crazy..."I say seriously.

"Maybe I am, but it’s better to be crazy than bitter. You should go a little mad too; that would set you free."

I understood that the greatest prison, the most cruel and unbearable one, is the one I built for my soul when I hated half the world, but forgiveness frees; and you should try to break free.—She tells me, looking into my eyes.

"Well, that will never happen with me."

Because I don't want it to!!.

I won’t forgive anyone. I’ll make them pay, even if it’s the last thing I do in life.—I tell Rebeca.

"Mia, I know that deep inside your heart of ice, there’s a lot of pain, loneliness, and hatred. I know you took an abuser's life, and that marked you forever."

I know your friend Dani died, and it was very hard for you, but you have to leave the bad behind.

Oh... but before you forget, I want you to tell me your full story.

Tell me everything...—She says, the woman who understands me despite my bad temper and helps make the eternal days easier to survive.

She talks a lot, but she's the only person in this place I've allowed to get close, and I think she’s right; it’s time to tell her my story...

I watch Rebeca eat the last bite of the tiny birthday cake. Honestly, I don't know how she got it, and I don’t want to ask because it’s not something I’m interested in.

"Ummm, it was really delicious, but you missed out because you’re bitter."

Honestly, I understand you, Mia; I know that this is not easy for anyone, especially for someone like you, who lived until 18 surrounded by luxury and comfort, and I also know that in this jail, they treated you with violence and disrespect, but look at you, you've survived it all.

I admire your strength; I've never seen you cry.

You don’t let anyone intimidate you, and nobody can change your opinions on your convictions.

You’re deprived of freedom, but you’re as strong as anyone I've ever seen.

The only downside is that you’ve allowed the people you hate to become the center of your life, and that’s toxic for you.

Mia, the center of your life, must be you and your well-being, then that of the people you love. You should never focus on the people you despise, even if you have plenty of reasons to do so.

Now, tell me everything, in detail...

I’ve shared my entire life with you. I believe I’ve shown you loyalty even in this prison, which is why I think I can know more about you.” Rebeca tells me, the woman who has defended me tooth and nail and saved my life more than once.

I look at her and decide to share my whole life with her...

"Alright... I think you will be the first person I tell my tragic life to; it hurts so much to remember, because there are things that you never get over, like losing my family."

I had the best childhood, the kind every child should have: a wonderful family, a surprisingly admirable father who was always right, a loving, caring mother, a joyful little brother who was a joker and often annoying but loved me, and I loved him back, and dream grandparents, even though my grandfather became a widower earlier. I had it all, and I was extremely happy.

As you know, I am the universal heir of the Montecarlos.

The company that manufactures and exports the finest wines in South America was founded by my great-great-grandfather and has been passed down through each generation until it reached me at a very young age.

Unfortunately, that inheritance, of which I haven't enjoyed anything "yet," was what triggered all the malice from the Montiels.

I was only 16 years old when my beloved parents, Maximo and Yanice, my little brother Junior, and my grandfather, who was also named Maximo, died; it all happened when the small plane they were on crashed.

They had gone together to inspect some land that was being offered to my father, and that was where the most painful tragedy occurred; even now, it’s hard to comprehend. Overnight, I was left alone, completely alone.

Being the only Montecalo, I was the sole heir, but since I was a minor, I needed to have a guardian. My father’s lawyer, Marco Soler, was helping me with that matter and assisted me with all the funeral arrangements for my whole family.

At that moment, I didn’t know what would happen to me, but Marco told me I could choose a guardian since I had no relatives; both my parents were only children.

Marco Soler offered to help me; he protected me and continues to do so in every way he can.

However, we didn't expect Oscar Montiel to show up, a supposed partner and best friend of my father.

This man brought notarized documents claiming he was a 20% partner in my company, and another document stated that in the event of my parents' death, my little brother and I would be cared for by his best friend and partner, Oscar Montiel, who was also authorized to manage all financial matters of the Montecarlo Corporation and the heir or heirs.

In this case, it referred to me.

Out of nowhere, I had a guardian, and he claimed to be a partner in the company.

Everyone who heard and saw the documents felt doubts, but to some extent, I also felt relief.

My 14-year-old brother and I had always heard that one day we would run the business, but at my age, I didn't know much about the Montecarlo Corporation, and worst of all, neither did my brother.

I had seen Oscar Montiel with my father on several occasions; now, this man came presenting a signed document from my father, granting him the authority to manage the business and my finances until I turned 18.

Of course, the company had to keep functioning despite everything; there were very capable people in every area, but there was no longer a CEO.

Neither my mother nor my grandfather were around—those who could have taken on the role.

I was at a crossroads, and Oscar Montiel’s appearance signified a solution.

(Mia)

Oscar Montiel arrived with his wife and declared himself the only one capable of managing the corporation; I simply didn’t argue anything.

They settled in without asking for permission, both in my home and in my life.

There was nothing that said otherwise.

My Nana Sofia had searched everything in my parents' room and in the study where Dad worked, trying to find any documents that spoke of the supposed partnership, but to no avail.

So I crossed my arms and waited.

I was nothing more than a fragile, needy orphaned teenager; with a deep pain in my heart.

The reason the Montiels had come was not to help with my shattered life, nor to ease the infinite pain I held; it was because I owned nearly 100 hectares of vineyards, a processing plant, and the company that marketed the best wine in Argentina, in addition to all of my parents' and grandfather's bank accounts.

It was all part of a wicked plan...

But I realized that too late.

At that time, although I had doubts, I accepted without objection; after all, I thought it was my father's decision.

I didn’t know how to manage the corporation; Dad had died unexpectedly, and the only man who supposedly knew the ins and outs of the company, according to himself, was Oscar Montiel. He insisted that my father's will was for the Montiel family to take charge of everything.

"Including me"...

But with their arrival, my tragic life worsened...

Since they came and got involved in my entire environment, I felt a slight relief, as I could see that the man actually knew how to manage everything from the vineyards to the exporter.

I also felt a slight easing of my pain, as both Oscar and Eugenia were attentive, understanding, and even affectionate.

I believed them; I needed to believe them. I needed to believe that they wanted to take care of me, that they wanted to help me, and that they were doing it out of the love they had for my late father.

I lived like this for a while, although the pain of losing my parents and grandfather was immense and insurmountable, they helped me cope with everything, and that was part of their plan.

But it struck me as very strange that they tried to distance me from everyone who cared for me.

They hated my father's lawyer and spoke very poorly of him.

They told me that Dad hadn’t trusted him lately because he was a fraud.

They always told me that people only approached me for some kind of interest.

As the saying goes, “The lion judges by its own condition.”

They even tried to kick my Nana Sofia out of my own house, along with my Nana's daughter, Daniela, who was like a sister to me.

After the death of my beloved blood family, they were my only family, and I loved them.

Daniela and I did everything together; she was just a few months older, so we were in the same class at the same school; we even lived in the same house since it was a massive place.

But Eugenia Montiel constantly spoke ill of Dani, although I never paid any attention to her bad comments; however, that should have been enough to remove them from my life.

If I had been smarter, maybe my Daniela would still be alive.

Those people deceived me in the vilest way, but while they convinced me that their closeness was to help me because Dad had asked and authorized it, they could never distance my Nana, Daniela, lawyer Marco Soler, or Leonardo, who managed the whole estate; they were always by my side, even advising me to take precautions.

So the Montiels organized themselves better and intensified their strategies.

I didn’t know those bastards had children until Eugenia started talking about them; then they brought them from the university where they studied, and with the arrival of the Montiel siblings, my tragic life became even worse.

Let me tell you why...

Vacation arrived, I had finished my high school education, but I didn’t want to go to the graduation ceremony; instead, I focused on streamlining my university admission process.

After that, to make the most of the 6 weeks of vacation, I decided to go to my estate, just like I used to when my parents were alive, so I arranged the trip with my Nana and Daniela.

Eugenia did not like the idea, as she told me her children would come to spend the holidays with them and that they wanted to meet me.

However, although I allowed them to stay at my house as if they were part of the family and listened to their opinions, I always maintained my own judgment. If I disagreed with something, I simply did not accept it.

I did it this way because, even as a child, my parents always respected and supported me in whatever I chose to do; now, I wasn’t going to let strangers come in and dictate my life. It was already enough that they managed my finances; besides, I wasn’t interested in meeting their children; to me, they were just strangers.

So, I went to enjoy my vacation; after all, I felt everything was in order at the Corporate office, and moreover, my father’s lawyer told me the signature on the document Oscar had was my father's, and if my dad had signed it, it was right for him, so I should trust it.

Upon arriving at the estate, everything was different; my beloved parents were no longer there.

That warm house, which had been one of my favorite places, seemed so big and sounded so silent. The staff came out to greet me as always, but there was sadness and uncertainty on their faces.

My parents were such generous and just people; it was obvious that everyone there would miss them.

That day, I spoke with them and told them to work as if they were alive, and that I would take on my father’s role in a year. I was about to turn 17, and my parents raised me to manage Montecarlo Corporate, and I would do it to the best of my ability.

I saw Leonardo Dorantes, my father's trusted man, walking. He was a person I admired for his charisma and loyalty, and he was in charge of the entire estate.

He came up to me and said he was at my service and would do everything necessary for me to learn about the vineyards and the grape processing; so the following weeks were full of learning, as Leonardo took it very seriously to teach me, and I took it very seriously to learn.

I also had fun during that time; Leonardo's children, who were my age and also on vacation, joined us: Cristina and Victor. They became good friends; Cristina was very outgoing, and Victor was the shyest boy I had ever met. He was so thin he seemed to walk hunched over, though very handsome and intelligent.

Victor was always close to me, making me laugh with his antics.

Everyone respected me a lot; I was the heir to everything, and they were part of the people who helped me, but I always insisted they treat me like a friend.

And so it was; I sincerely appreciated them and knew they felt the same way about me.

Dani, the Dorantes twins, and I had the best time during those vacations, but unfortunately, the Montiel brothers showed up...

And that day, life changed for us.