Chapter 37: The Open Road

The grand living room of the Castillo echoed with a tense silence the following morning. Mariana, dressed in a simple yet elegant black dress, sat rigidly on one of the plush sofas, her posture betraying her restless night. She hadn’t slept much, due to the storm of anger churning within her. Tiago descended the stairs, his gaze sweeping the room before landing on Mariana's unyielding form. "Morning." he greeted, his voice neutral. Mariana shot him a steely glance, ignoring his greeting. "Let's get this over with, Tiago," she said, her voice clipped. "Take me to the court now." Tiago raised an eyebrow. "To the court? Now?" "Yes, now," she pressed, her jaw set. "I'm not wasting another minute." Tiago hesitated, a flicker of annoyance crossing his features. "Mariana," he began patiently, "I have a meeting this morning. And frankly, I could use some breakfast before heading out." "Cancel the meeting," Mariana shot back. "The divorce is more important." Tiago sighed, frustrat