Emilio POV
The turning point in my life came at the age of fourteen, when my circumstances took an unexpected turn. It wasn't the long-awaited adoption I had once hopelessly dreamed of, as I had grown beyond the preferred age for such a fantasy. Rather, my new reality was to be sent to serve Pastor Nicolas and his household.
This development wasn't a cause for celebration. I remained devoid of parental figures to call my own. Moreover, this transition did not promise any transformative shift in my life. My days at the orphanage, filled with the relentless routine of chores as one of the eldest residents, had already ingrained in me a deep sense of diligence and resignation. It was clear my burden of labor would persist, merely within a new setting.
Contrary to my initial perceptions, Pa
