Falling For You in the Wrong Century

CHAPTER 9: THE RICH SUITOR

Three days after meeting Trinidad, I’m walking through the market, picking out ripe papayas and bananas for the small meal I make each day in the old house, when a man steps in front of me, blocking my path. He’s tall and broad-shouldered, dressed in a fine linen suit the color of cream, with polished leather boots and a gold pocket watch chain glinting at his waist. His hair is slicked back perfectly, and his dark eyes hold a look of calculated confidence that makes my skin prickle with unease.

“Señorita Gracia,” he says, bowing slightly—though his gaze never leaves my face. “I’m Juancho Morales. I’m sure you’ve heard my name mentioned in town.”

I have—everyone speaks of the Morales family, who own half the province’s sugar plantations and most of the businesses in the capital. I nod carefully, clutching my woven basket tighter. “How do you know my name?”

He smiles, but there’s no warmth in it. “I’ve been watching you with Romano Graciano these past weeks. I saw how Trinidad spoke to you the other day, and I know you’re unhappy with how things stand between you and the man you love. Let me offer you a solution—one that will benefit everyone involved.”

We move to a quiet corner of the market, away from prying eyes and listening ears. Juancho leans against a wooden stall selling handmade pots, his voice low and smooth as he speaks. “I’ve been in love with you since the first time I saw you walking through the streets—your hair loose in the wind, your eyes full of wonder. You’re different from the other women in this town—you see more than what’s right in front of you. I can give you everything you could ever want: a vast estate of your own, enough money to never want for anything, a beautiful home in Manila where you’ll be treated like the lady you are. All you have to do is leave Romano and marry me by the end of the month.”

He gestures around the market, at the dirt floors and simple stalls. “Romano can’t give you any of this. He’s poor, he’s tied to Trinidad by bonds his family can’t break, and he’ll never be able to protect you from what’s coming. Trinidad’s anger is only growing—she has powerful friends, and they won’t hesitate to hurt anyone who gets in her way. Marry me, and I’ll make sure she leaves you alone. Trinidad will get what she wants—Romano—and you’ll get a life of comfort and security.”

I look at him, shocked by his audacity and the cold way he speaks of love as if it’s nothing more than a business transaction. “I don’t want your money or your land or your big house in Manila,” I say firmly, my voice steady despite the knot in my stomach. “I love Romano, and I’d never leave him for anything in this world—or any other. His love means more to me than all the wealth you could ever offer.”

Juancho’s smile fades completely, replaced by a cold, hard look that sends chills down my spine. “You’re making a terrible mistake, señorita. I don’t like to be refused, and I don’t like to see what’s mine slip away. Romano can’t protect you—not from Trinidad, and certainly not from me. Think carefully about my offer—it won’t last forever. When you come to your senses, you’ll find me at the Morales estate on the hill.”

He turns and walks away, leaving me standing there with a heavy feeling in my stomach. I know Trinidad is dangerous—her anger is hot and loud—but Juancho’s threat feels different. It’s quiet and calculating, the kind that’s more likely to end in violence no one will ever trace back to him. When I find Romano later that day, sitting by the river mending a fishing net, I tell him about the encounter. He drops the net and pulls me close, his arms strong around me as he presses a kiss to my forehead.

“I’ll keep you safe, Gracia,” he promises. “I’ll find a way to get us out of this—maybe we can run away to another province, start over somewhere no one knows us. I’d rather have nothing with you than everything without you.” But even as he speaks, I can see the worry etched deep in his brow, and I know we’re running out of time to find a way out.