EPISODE 143

 

At Martin's house,

Marianna was making dinner for her and Dianna. Dianna comes into the kitchen and asks her where Uncle Martin is. Marianna puts the knife she was holding down. She doesn't know where Martin was. He was usually back by that time. He had not told her where he was going or that he would be late. She asks herself if he went out on a date.

 

Marianna clutches her hand. She thinks about the times that they have kissed each other. She is brought back from the reverie when Dianna clutches her hand and calls her mommy. She tells Dianna that he had a meeting and that's why he was late. Dianna says that she loves him and wants him to be her daddy. Marianna is stunned and left wide-eyed at those words. She kneels and hugs her daughter.

 

Back at Ramon and Clara's house,

Anna Patricia says that Marianna's family can take care of Dianna for however long Marianna may be in jail. Martin says Marianna has just found them and it is too soon and too much to ask from them. He adds that he loves Dianna and wants to take care of her and protect her from Alejandro. He says that if Marianna's family wants they can be part of Dianna's life but she will be his daughter and his responsibility. Anna Patricia reminds him that taking care of a child is not easy.

 

Martin reminds her that when she had him she was twenty and had no idea how to raise a child but she did a good job raising him because she is a good mother and he turned out well. Anna Patricia smiles. Martin adds that the same way she learnt from his grandmother is the same way he has learnt from her. He also says that if Emma had not been killed they would be raising the child she was expecting, so it's not like by him raising Dianna he is doing something he would not be doing. Ramon asks him if he is using Dianna to replace that child.

 

Martin assures his grandfather that he is not. He says that he has grown to love Dianna and he would not say that he wanted to adopt her if he was not sure or use her as a substitute. Ramon tells Martin that if he is sure of his decision, he will support him. Martin smiles and looks at his mother and his grandmother. He asks them what about them. Anna Patricia sighs and moves near him. She hugs him and tells him that she loves him and while she is still skeptical of his decision she won't try to stop him or persuade him not to. His grandmother hugs him as well.

 

Days pass during which Martin begins the process to formally adopt Dianna, Gabriel begins looking for a place to stay and the investigations into both Emma's murder and Gabriel's accident continue without much progress.

 

On Thursday,

At Montes De Alba Inc.,

Martin, Hernan, and Gabriela are at the cafeteria. They are discussing Martin's decision to adopt Dianna. Gabriela asks him how the first step went. Martin says that he went with Marianna. He adds that given the nature of the case it will be more complicated than usual. He adds that for a start both Adrianna and Alejandro will have to be interviewed and their statements will be taken. Gabriela says Adrianna because she is the one who took care of Dianna for three-plus years when she thought she was her daughter and Alejandro because he is her biological father.

 

Martin says yes. He adds that they can expect nothing but trouble from Alejandro. Gabriela says Alejandro is a bad person but she doesn't understand why he would want to prevent him (Martin) from adopting Diana. Martin says that probably because he is sick and vindictive and might want to get payback against Marianna for giving evidence against him and the rest to the police. Gabriela tells Martin that everyone else knows that he wants to adopt Dianna, except Dianna herself.

 

Martin shrugs and says she is very young and it's unnecessary. Gabriela sighs and Hernan says that the know- it -all is about to speak. Martin agrees with Hernan and then smiles. Gabriela calls them both bullies and then tells Martin that even though Dianna is almost four, he and Marianna should simplify things for her because she has been through more than enough already. Gabriela adds (to Martin) that they should avoid any more trauma and they should make the adjustment process as easy as possible. Martin knows that Gabriela has a point.

 

Shortly after,

At Hernan and Adrianna's house,

Ramon has just arrived to visit Gabriel. When Gabriel heard that Ramon wanted to talk to him, he was a little surprised. He was even more surprised when he asked him not to tell Anna Patricia or her mother a single word. Ramon sips his glass of juice then tells Gabriel that he wanted to talk to him about Anna Patricia. Gabriel asks him if she is fine. Ramon waves him away and says that she is fine. He adds that he knows his daughter very well, and can tell when she is trying to downplay something important to her.

 

Gabriel tells Ramon that he doesn't understand what he means. Ramon says that Anna Patricia loves Martin to bits and he saw how it pained her that she was never able to have another child and how that ruined her relationships. He adds that she always wanted more children of her own and loved having the twins and Aurelio around. Gabriel says that she is very caring and nurturing. Ramon says that he has been watching his daughter and has seen how she has bonded with Ricardo. He adds that watching his daughter with Ricardo he is reminded of how fulfilled and happy she was taking care of Martin when he was at that age.

 

Gabriel admits that he has noticed that as well. Ramon says that he is not sure what the long-term plans for Ricardo are but the child's future should be settled soon. He adds (to Gabriel) that he is not there to pressure him into making any decisions or having any such conversations with Anna Patricia immediately. He adds that he felt the issue needed to be put out there, despite Anna Patricia telling him not to interfere with the issue. Gabriel asks himself why Anna Patricia would feel the need to downplay how fond she has grown of Ricardo.

 

Sometime later,

At an unidentified location,

Claudia is in a modest-looking hotel room. She is sitting on her bed. She sighs and clasps her hands together. She says out loud that she cannot ask Antonio for help because that is what Juan Patricio would expect her to do. She adds that neither can she do much herself. She also adds that she needs the help of someone else to reveal what she knows.

 

Shortly after,

At Alejandro's house,

Alejandro is on his way to the kitchen to get a glass of water when he hears a knock on the door. He goes and opens it. He looks from the lady to her briefcase and back. He introduces himself and she also does the same. She says she is a lawyer and that she is there to talk to him. Alejandro sighs and tells her that he had already made it clear to Adrianna that he would not sign the divorce papers. The lawyer says that she is not there about any divorce case. Alejandro is curious. He asks her to come in and then locks the door. He asks her why then she is there. The lawyer says that she is there to notify him that he is required to give some information as part of a custody and adoption case.

 

Alejandro is confused and asks her whose custody they are talking about. She says that it is about Dianna, his daughter. Alejandro asks why the child's custody would be an issue up for discussion. She says that someone named Martin Ortiz filed a request to legally adopt Dianna and get joint custody of her with the child's Mother Marianna Peralta. Alejandro is shocked. Did Martin want to adopt Dianna? He had not seen that coming. He asks the lawyer what the process is. She says that Martin and Marianna have already given their statements and the next would be for him and Adrianna to give theirs. Alejandro asks her what happens after that.

 

Back at Hernan and Adrianna's house,

Ramon has already left and Gabriel is alone. He is thinking of the conversation he had with Ramon earlier. He asks himself again why Anna Patricia would want to downplay how fond she is of Ricardo. No matter how hard he tries, he cannot come up with a good reason. He asks himself if maybe it is because of him. He asks himself if she is afraid of his reaction.

 

Back at Alejandro's house,

The lawyer says that from there, Martin's request will be evaluated. Alejandro paces around silently. He says that there is no way he will let his daughter be raised by such a person. The lawyer says that the case is different and more complicated than most. Alejandro asks her what she means. She says that his and Marianna's cases are well known and will be part of the submissions considered before any decision is made. Alejandro says he will insist on what he has been saying all along, that he is not guilty of anything and that he is certainly not a murderer.

The lawyer says that it is an ongoing case and that it is not her who will determine that.

 

She adds that her job is to make sure that whatever decision is reached is in Dianna's best interests. Alejandro asks her what Martin and Mariana said in their statements. The lawyer says that at that point, she cannot divulge any more information. She adds that he is required to present himself to make his statement, early the next week. Alejandro remains silent as he ponders all that he has just heard. He then says that he does not want Martin to take care of his daughter. He adds that Martin is only doing it because he believes that he (Alejandro) killed his pregnant girlfriend. The lawyer says that will be proved true or false after the request is fully evaluated. Alejandro says that he will fight it.

 

The next day on Friday,

In Helena's office,

She is busy on her laptop working, when there is a call, from her secretary, on the intercom. She picks it up. She is told that she has a visitor. Helena says that she is busy and does not want to receive any visitors. The secretary says that it is Gabriel. Helena is surprised and says that will be okay. After she ends the call, she begins to ask herself why Gabriel would want to see her. After several seconds, Gabriel opens the door and enters. He walks towards Helena and sits. Helena says that she is surprised to see him there.

 

Gabriel says that he came to inform her that he will be visiting the mansion with the twins and Aranza. Helena is a little surprised at that. She asks him why. Gabriel says that it will give help him get a sense of who he was and what his life was like before the accident and he needs that as he recovers. He adds that he might even regain some more of his memory. Helena asks him if his recovery is the only reason he wants to go to the mansion. Gabriel asks her what other reasons there would be. Helena says perhaps to try and take the mansion from her.

 

Gabriel smiles. He says it is ironic of her to worry about him stealing the mansion when it was she who stole the mansion, his company, and his whole life from him. He adds that he will get back the property she and Carlos stole from him, but at the moment, he wants to continue recovering and that involves getting a feel of what his life was like before. Helena starts to continue saying that she had no part in his accident but Gabriel puts up his hand and interjects. He asks her if she is tired of the pretense and acts she is putting up.

 

Elsewhere,

At the company cafeteria,

Aranza and Aurelio are there. She notices that he is a little quiet and asks him about it. He says that he was just thinking about Martin's decision to adopt Dianna. He says that it still shocks him that his cousin has decided to make such a decision. Aranza shrugs and says that she thinks that it is sweet of Martin. Aurelio says that it's not something he can undo easily if he decides it’s too much for him. Aranza says that she has been watching Martin and she can tell that he genuinely loves Dianna.

 

Aurelio says that he doesn't doubt that either but deciding to adopt her is a very big decision. Aranza says that if Emma had not been killed, she and Martin would be raising their child, so it's not like by taking care of Dianna he is doing something he would never do. Aurelio says that she sounds like Martin because that is exactly what he says. He adds that it would complicate Martin's life because it would tie him to Marianna, on top of making it, even harder for him to move on.

 

Aranza asks him what he means. Aurelio says that if Marianna gets sentenced it won't be for too long and naturally, she will want a relationship with her daughter. Aranza says that there is nothing wrong with that. Aurelio says that he is sure that something is going on between them which raises the question of whether Martin will remain single during Marianna's sentence and what will happen after, regardless of whatever he decides to do. He adds that they don't even know how long her sentence will be.

 

Back in Helena's office,

Helena says that she was very sad when she thought that he had died and she vowed to work hard and grow the company even more. Gabriel stops her again and tells her that the pretense is unnecessary. He adds that it is only a matter of time before she and Carlos are unmasked. Helena looks at him. She says that she is innocent. She says that they are both civilized and mature adults and so they should reach an agreement. Gabriel asks her what she means.

 

Helena says that since he came back, she has been thinking of how things can be resolved and she arrived at a solution. She stops and looks at Gabriel for a comment or any kind of a reaction but he stares at her waiting for her to continue. Helena says that forty percent of the shares of the company is in the hands of shareholders, meaning its sixty percent that is in the hands of her and Carlos. She says that the solution is simple.

She and Carlos retain fifty percent of that and he (Gabriel) and the children get the other fifty percent.

 

Gabriel asks Helena if she is finished and if she is crazy. He says that she must be crazy if she thinks that she will get a cent of his and his children's money after everything she has done. Helena says that she is trying to keep things civil but he is not helping. Gabriel sarcastically asks her how much she wants after trying to kill him and the twins and blackmailing her own daughter.

 

Back with Aranza and Aurelio

Aranza tells Aurelio that she can see what he means, but she thinks that Martin and Marianna can figure things out and will make a decision that is in Dianna's best interests. Aurelio says it’s a bit hard to understand and accept Martin's closeness to Marianna because he has always been the most responsible and sensible one when it came to every area of his life. Aranza says and probably a bit too serious and boring. She adds that Marianna is a live wire and his cousin needs to stop being so serious and learn to live. Aurelio asks her if she thinks Marianna's change is genuine or a pretense made to fool people.

 

Aranza says that she believes that Marianna is genuine. She asks Aurelio why he asked that. Aurelio says that when she said that Marianna is a live-wire, he wondered if she might ignite and go back to her old ways or do something to Martin. Aranza says that she doesn't think so. She says that Dianna and now finding her family will keep her motivated to keep on growing. She adds that Martin knows how to handle her, even at her worst.