A Winter's Vow

The Morning Barcelona Woke With Fire In Its Sky

CHAPTER 29 — The Morning Barcelona Woke With Fire in Its Sky

The next morning arrived slowly, stretching itself across the Barcelona skyline like a painter laying warm strokes of gold on a canvas. The sun emerged from behind the hills, soft and hesitant, as though uncertain whether the city was ready for light after such a heavy night. Winter sunlight had a different character—it was gentle, almost shy—but today, it illuminated everything with unusual clarity.

Jane awoke before her alarm. Her eyes opened to a silence that wasn’t peaceful but alert. She lay there for several seconds, feeling the thudding rhythm of her own heartbeat, as if her body already knew she had decisions to make today—big ones.

Outside her window, she could hear the early morning sounds: the distant rumble of street cleaners washing the pavements, the faint clatter of a bakery preparing fresh ensaimadas, and the chirping of birds perched somewhere along the bougainvillea vines growing up the side of her townhouse.

For a moment, Jane watched the golden light beginning to dance on her bedroom ceiling. She allowed herself one deep breath. Then another.

Her thoughts slowly rebuilt themselves.

Frederick. His sudden reappearance. His cold, calculated smile. The storm of old memories.

And Jake.

His steady voice. His unwavering presence. His quiet support.

She pulled herself out of bed, stretched, and wrapped a warm robe around herself before heading to the kitchen.

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The Kitchen Scene – Slow, Real, Human

Tiana was already awake.

She sat at the kitchen island wearing her light pink pajamas with tiny silver stars embroidered along the sleeves, her curls still mussed from sleep. She was coloring on one of her drawing pads, humming softly under her breath.

When she saw Jane, her face brightened instantly.

“Mama! Look!” she exclaimed, holding up a drawing with great pride.

It was a bright crayon sketch of the three of them—Jane, Tiana, and Jake—standing beneath a huge Christmas tree in Plaça de Catalunya. All three were smiling. Above them, Tiana had drawn falling snow, even though snow in Barcelona was rare.

Jane’s heart squeezed.

“It’s beautiful,” she said gently, smoothing her daughter’s curls. “You’re getting so good at drawing.”

Tiana beamed. “Mr. Jake said he’ll teach me how to draw buildings later! He said he used to do it for fun when he was younger.”

Jane paused.

Jake? Drawing buildings?

She hadn’t known that.

Even small details about him seemed to slip into her home with ease, as if he fit into the space in ways she never expected someone could.

“Did he?” Jane replied softly.

Before she could continue, footsteps approached. Jake appeared at the doorway, wearing a grey sweater, jeans, and a slightly sheepish expression—as though unsure whether he had stepped into their world too much.

“Good morning,” he said gently.

Jane nodded. “Morning.”

Tiana immediately scrambled off her chair and wrapped her small arms around his waist.

“Jake! I finished the picture!”

He bent down slightly so they were eye-level.

“That’s amazing, princesa,” he said warmly, ruffling her hair.

The natural affection between them struck Jane again. It wasn’t forced. It wasn’t exaggerated. And Jake never crossed boundaries—he waited for Tiana to come to him, not the other way around.

Jane turned to make breakfast, partly because she needed something to do with her hands.

“Coffee?” she offered casually, trying to control her voice.

“Yes, please,” Jake replied, taking a seat across from Tiana.

As she prepared their breakfast, she glanced at him from time to time. He watched Tiana draw, pointing out shapes and shadows, showing her how to shade a rooftop or outline a garden path. She listened intently, soaking up every word.

It was… unexpectedly soft.

Unexpectedly warm.

Jane felt a whisper of something she wasn’t ready to name.

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Planning the Day — A Full Strategy

After breakfast, Jake waited until Tiana skipped upstairs to get dressed before turning his attention to Jane.

“Can we talk now?” he asked quietly.

She nodded, leaning against the counter for support.

Jake pulled out a folded packet of papers from his bag—documents, business charts, printouts from public archives.

“I stayed up a little after you slept,” he admitted.

“What for?” Jane asked.

His gaze met hers with a seriousness that made something tighten in her chest.

“To understand how Frederick plans to move. And to help you prepare.”

Jane’s breath hitched softly—not from fear, but from the realization that he had silently been fighting beside her even while she slept.

“You didn’t have to do that,” she whispered.

“I know,” he said. “But I wanted to.”

He laid the papers on the island.

“This…” he tapped the first document, “is Frederick’s planned expansion project into the Barcelona luxury real estate corridor. He’s already bought influence. But not enough to be unstoppable.”

Jane froze.

She knew that corridor. It was one of the strategic areas she had quietly been investing in for months—part of her plan to rebuild her family’s legacy.

“He’s trying to block you,” Jake said calmly, “before you can become a threat.”

Jane inhaled deeply.

“Of course he is.”

Jake leaned back slightly, analyzing her reaction.

“But here’s the good news: he’s not ahead of you. He just assumes you’ll fold.”

Jane lifted her chin.

“He’s wrong.”

A hint of approval flickered in Jake’s expression.

“Good.”

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A Shift in Atmosphere — Jane Awakens

Something changed in Jane as she absorbed the information. The fear from the previous day began to morph—slowly, purposefully—into focus.

Determination.

Resolve.

She was no longer the young woman who had walked into Frederick’s orbit years ago, naive and eager to love.

She was someone rebuilt from ashes.

Someone her daughter depended on.

“You’re with me on this?” she asked softly.

Jake replied with steady certainty, “All the way.”

For the first time in years, Jane felt herself straighten—not because she wanted to look strong, but because she felt strong.

They spent the next hour drafting plans:

which properties to protect

which investors to contact

how to position her next moves

how to avoid Frederick’s surveillance

how to gather allies quietly

and how to make her presence unavoidable in Barcelona business circles again

It felt… empowering.

Jane’s mind was sharp, quick, strategic. And Jake matched her pace effortlessly.

Every question she asked, he answered with precision. Every doubt she confessed, he clarified without making her feel small.

This wasn’t someone trying to control her.

This was someone helping her rebuild.

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A Quiet Moment — And a New Beginning

Around noon, the planning slowed.

Jane looked up at Jake, truly taking in his calm, steady presence.

“Thank you,” she said softly. “For everything this morning.”

Jake shook his head.

“You don’t have to thank me. I’m glad to help.”

Their eyes held for a moment.

Not romantic.

Not intimate.

Just… human.

A connection built on trust, not pressure.

Jane finally looked away, her voice softer:

“This is just the beginning.”

Jake nodded.

“And you’re ready for it.”

She didn’t argue.

Because for the first time in years, she finally believed she was.

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CHAPTER 30 — The Deep Breath Before the Storm

Barcelona shifted moods as the day unfolded — from gentle winter morning to something sharper, brisker, as though the city itself sensed a storm forming around Jane Castellano.

The sky was a sweeping blue with streaks of silver clouds floating above the rooftops. Christmas decorations hung between balconies across the Gothic Quarter: golden stars, sparkling garlands, and strings of lights that would later glow like molten threads.

Jane walked through her townhouse, taking in the familiar warmth of the rooms she had built for herself and Tiana. But today, everything felt different — not threatening, but charged. As if every memory, every breath, every shadow was waiting for her next move.

She stood before her living room window, arms folded across her chest, looking out at the distant Sagrada Família. Its towers glowed under the winter sun, majestic and spiritual, a reminder that time held both wounds and healing.

Jake stood a few feet behind her, studying her posture carefully — not intrusively, but thoughtfully. He knew better than to interrupt her silence.

When she finally turned to him, her expression was thoughtful.

“Do you ever feel,” she asked softly, “like your life is split into two timelines — the one you lived, and the one you should have lived?”

Jake held her gaze. “Yes. Many times.”

“What did you do with that feeling?”

He answered simply.

“I decided to walk forward anyway.”

Jane took that in, her jaw tightening a little.

Jake stepped closer, but still kept a respectful distance.

“You’re quiet,” he observed.

“I’m thinking,” she murmured. “About the day I left Paris… the day I signed those divorce papers…”

She stopped there. The memories were heavy, but she wouldn’t let them crush her.

“I thought my life was over,” she continued softly. “I didn’t know I was pregnant. I didn’t know I still had something to fight for.”

Jake’s eyes softened.

“Tiana changed everything,” she whispered. “She saved me.”

The name alone gave her strength.

“She’ll never know the life I lived with him. I’ll never let that darkness touch her.”

Jake nodded. “And it won’t.”

Jane straightened, gathering her thoughts.

“I need to visit one more place today,” she said.

“Where?”

“The Castellano Archives.”

Jake’s brows rose slightly.

“That’s a big step.”

“Yes. But I need answers. I need to know what my family did… what thread connects us to Frederick’s anger.”

Jake adjusted his jacket.

“Then I’m coming with you.”

Jane didn’t protest.

And that meant more to Jake than she knew.

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The Drive to the Castellano Archives

They left in Jane’s sleek black SUV, the one she rarely used except for important matters. Tiana stayed with Maria — the elderly neighbor who adored her and baked almond cookies whenever she visited.

As they drove through the heart of Barcelona, the city breathed around them:

Street musicians playing soft guitar melodies

Vendors setting up Christmas stalls with handcrafted ornaments

Old couples walking hand-in-hand beneath decorated lamp posts

Children chasing pigeons across Plaça Reial

The world looked festive, alive, hopeful. But beneath that beauty, Jane felt the sharp whisper of unfinished history.

Jake drove while Jane watched the city pass by — each street revealing another layer of memory.

“I used to visit the Archives with my father,” she said softly. “He said that knowing our past kept us humble.”

Jake gave her a side glance. “You were close to him.”

“Yes. Until everything fell apart.”

She turned her face toward the window.

“Frederick wasn’t the only reason our family crumbled. But he was the final blow.”

The sadness in her voice was quiet, not weak — the sadness of someone who had stepped out of darkness but still felt the chill of its shadow.

Jake didn’t rush her, didn’t ask questions she wasn’t ready to answer.

He just drove.

And that was enough.

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The Castellano Archives — A House of Dust and Secrets

The Archives sat on a hill overlooking the city — a grand stone building with wide steps, iron-wrought doors, and tall glass windows that reflected sunlight like mirrors.

Jane walked up the steps slowly, her heels clicking softly against the marble. She inhaled the scent she remembered — old books, polished wood, and history itself.

Inside, the marble floors gleamed. Rows of towering shelves stretched toward the ceiling. Dust particles floated through shafts of winter light like tiny drifting stars.

Staff members bowed respectfully as Jane entered.

“Señorita Castellano,” the curator greeted warmly. “It has been many years.”

“I know,” she replied. “I’m here to access my father’s business records from the early expansion years.”

The curator hesitated.

“That section… is restricted now.”

Jane’s chin lifted. “It won’t be restricted for me.”

He nodded quickly and led her to a private room.

Jake followed silently, hands in his pockets, eyes alert.

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Uncovering the Past

Boxes lined the room — some labeled in her father’s handwriting. Her breath caught when she saw his elegant cursive letters:

Castellano Investments — Expansion Partnership Proposals (France, 1997—2005)

She swallowed hard.

“Jake,” she whispered, “these were from the years Frederick’s family almost collapsed.”

Jake’s expression hardened a little. “Then this is where the connection lies.”

Jane opened the first box.

Paper after paper.

Proposal after proposal.

And then —

A file stamped in red:

REJECTED — DELAYED PARTNERSHIP WITH THE LEMAIRE FAMILY

Jane froze.

Lemaire.

Frederick’s family name.

Her heart dropped.

Her hands shook as she pulled the document out.

It detailed a deal her father was supposed to sign — a deal that would have helped Frederick’s father expand his small business. But the Castellanos withdrew at the last minute, leaving the Lemaire family in financial crisis.

“My father… backed out,” Jane whispered. “But why?”

Jake gently took the file.

“Look,” he said, pointing to a line. “There was a legal risk. The Lemaire business wasn’t stable enough. Your father didn’t want to jeopardize your family.”

Jane pressed her fingers to her temple.

“So Frederick grew up believing my family destroyed theirs… even though it was just business.”

Jake nodded.

“And instead of competing fairly… he targeted you.”

Jane closed the file, trembling slightly.

“This changes everything,” she said softly. “Now I know what I’m fighting.”

Jake gave her a firm, steady look.

“And now you’re fighting with the truth on your side.”

Jane exhaled slowly, grounding herself.

For the first time, the past didn’t feel like a trap.

It felt like a map.

A map leading her toward the confrontation she now knew she needed.

The battle was beginning.

But Jane was no longer walking blindly.

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