That night, Marisol barely slept. She stared at the ceiling, rehearsing answers, imagining scenarios. She did not know that her life was about to take a one-hundred-and-eighty-degree turn, nor that the mysterious man pulling the strings was not only looking for an employee but, without realizing it, searching for someone who could restore his faith in humanity.
At dawn, Marisol smoothed her dress, lifted her chin, and stepped out to face her destiny. The sky was clear, but a storm of emotions brewed inside her, a storm about to collide with the unshakable calm of Antonio Tabáres.
A meeting was about to take place—one that would defy the odds and rewrite the rules of their two opposing worlds.
The private elevator shot upward at dizzying speed, making her ears pop, but the buzzing in Marisol’s head was not from the pressure—it was from her nerves. When the polished metal doors opened on the fortieth floor, she found herself in a silent lobby decorated with works of art that probably cost more than her entire neighborhood.
—Go in, Mr. Tabáres is expecting you —said a secretary with a much kinder smile than the one from the day before.
When she entered the office, the vastness of the space struck her. Floor-to-ceiling windows displayed Mexico City at her feet, a sea of concrete and light. And there, standing beside the desk, was him. Antonio Tabáres was taller than he appeared in photographs, with a magnetic presence that filled the room. He turned slowly, and his dark eyes locked onto hers with an intensity that made her shiver.
—Good morning, Miss de Campos —he said, his voice deep and calm—. Thank you for coming back.
—Good morning, Mr. Tabáres —Marisol replied, surprising herself with the steadiness of her voice—. Thank you for the opportunity. Though, if I’m honest, I don’t understand what I’m doing here after yesterday.
Antonio smiled, a small, enigmatic smile that softened his stern features. —Yesterday we made a mistake. My employees judged the book by its cover. I prefer to read the content.
He gestured to a chair, and the interview began. It was not a standard interrogation. He did not ask about her weaknesses or where she saw herself in five years. He asked how she handled the crisis in her previous job when the company went bankrupt. He asked about her mother. He asked what she would do if she had to negotiate with someone who despised her.
Marisol answered truthfully, without embellishment. She spoke of necessity, loyalty, and the ingenuity that is born when there are no resources. Antonio listened, fascinated. Every answer confirmed what he had sensed: he had a diamond in the rough before him.
—The position is yours —Antonio said suddenly, closing the folder—. Executive Assistant to the Presidency. The salary is triple what you requested. It includes full medical insurance for you and your immediate family.
