Caray, Caray!

The fault is usually in so many lies people tell to themselves. – Dashiell Hammett

Adriana took the call about Leo trapping El Cobra. She had to tell José Luis, who was in the same room. He looked confused as she said “Let's go.”

Majo had to get Renata to calm down so that she7 would not be locked up in the loony bin again, possibly forever this time. She led her away. When they arrived home they argued about what to do next. Renata insisted that they could not wait because of what could happen to Mauricio.

Leo arrested Dario, who addressed Elisa on his way out with the goal of identifying her as an accomplice. Leo overheard at least part of Dario's nastiness and stopped him, telling him to keep his foul mouth shut. The uniformed men put him in the squad car. Some of his minions ran off as another police cruiser came in with a blaring siren. Leo told Elisa that the nightmare is over. She knew, however, that it wasn't. She would still be accused of money-laundering and have difficulty proving that she did it under duress. Mario told Leo that they had Dario's fingerprints and security camera recordings. Dario's henchmen calmly walked pasr Elisa as Leo informed him he was heaed to central booking. Dario looked at him and said “You have know idea who is behind me.”

José Luis arrived, demanding to know what was going on. Dario looked up at the sound of his voice and Leo gave his brother a hard look.

Dario's minions reported to Eugenio, telling him what went down. Eugenio cursed and took out his cell. When José Luis answered he demanded that Dario be released. José Luis told him he could not do so. Eugenio reminded him that he paid him lots of dinero to prevent this and he was putting his neck in the noose. He ended the call and took off.

José Luis and Leo disputed who had jurisdiction over Dario's arrest. José Luis seemed to have won on the condition that Dario was arrested for attempted art theft and that Leo didn't have a warrant for arrest for kidnapping. He then entered the squad car and sat next to Dario.

Elisa was upset that this happened earlier than expected. She needed a little time to prepare her defense. Adriana told her to trust her. Majo called Elisa to explain what was happening with Renata and begged her to come because she was the only one who could calm Renata down. Elisa explained she couldn't come at the moment because Leo had just cught El Cobra. Majo went silent for a few seconds and asked what happened. Elisa said she would tell her later because she had to go to the police station. She told her firmly to stay with Renata and she would see her later.

Majo took this badly. She started to cry. Renata – who was crying but seemed to have calmed down a little – embraced her. Majo thought back to the night of the star necklace and a later confrontation.

Mario pushed El Cobra into the interrogation room. José Luis said to remove the cuffs. Mario was slow to obey, but finally did and left them alone in the room. José Luis closed the door and Dario immediately told him that Elisa had betrayed him. He told him that his help was the price of his silence. José Luis told him not to threaten him and that Leo was seeking a federal arrest warrant. He told him he needed to get his lawyer immediately; tomorrow would be too late. He then handed him a handkerchief to clean off the blood, then opened the door and told Mario that their captive had a right to a phone call.

Eugenio barged into Fernanda's apartment looking for Fabricio, who was not there. Nor was he at his own apartment. He poured himself some of his favorite poison, saying they had to find him to make sure he doesn't talk.

Majo took a swig of mescal and Renata wrestled the bottle from her. Victoria was awakened by this and entered to find out what was going on. Renata told her that El Cobra was ust caught and Majo was upset. Victoria asked if she was crazy and this led to an argument accusing Victoria of knowing nothing about love. Elisa walked in on this, Victoria showed her the bottle, and Elisa told Majo she needed to be strong. Elisa was certain she would also be arrested. Victoria didn't believe this. The maid came in to tell Elisa that Leo was there to talk to her. Victoria ordered her to send him away. Elisa told her otherwise and told her mother “I have to face the consequences of my actions. I made a mistake, I made bad decisions, and this is all Father's fault. I trusted him. Everything he did with the galleries from the beginning was traffic art and launder money and that is partly my fault because I didn't participate in the financial side. I wasn't interested in that subject. So I was his accomplice from the first moment. I did this to protect us. I didn't want anything to happen to you because of what happened with those damned galleries. What happens from now on is each of our responsibilities.”

She left the room. All were crying except Victoria.

Adriana told Mario that Leo was bringing in Elisa to make her statement. She told him to watch out for himself because José Luis considered them traitors for helping Leo.

Neither Sara nor Leslie was able to sleep that night for worrying about Teresa. Sara told her she was sure that José Luis would help. When Leslie lay down in bed and Sara touched her she saw her bruised abdomen. She asked who had hit her.

Elisa and Adriana talked about the case and Elisa's feelings for Leo. Elisa admitted she could not imagine not having him in her life. She asked Adriana if she had ever been in love with him. Adriana told her she had not because she could not imagine loving someone not free to love her. She did once, though and didn't like that she had had no regrets.

The next morning José Luis visited Teresa in her cell. He brought her a torta and she said she wasn't hungry. She demanded to see a lawyer. He then taunted her by saying that before she could begin to be declared innocent she would spend a few months in the women's prison. The murder weapon was covered in her fingerprints. The victim's family would demand the maximum penalty. He wasn't sure how long she would be in the station lockup, sayin she would soon be in the reculsorio. He then got up and left. She shouted after him that she was innocent.

Majo looked as though she had not slept all night. Elisa checked up on her and told her to not feel guilty about anything, that none of what happened was her fault. She did get her to promise to stop drinking.

José Luis arrived home to Sara accusing him of hitting Leslie. He went up to Leslie's room to tell her to tell her he was going to take her to see her mother. She hesitated to believe him at first, but got out of bed to dress. He then insisted she tell him who had been hitting her, as he knew about the bruises.

Elisa told Renata about her declaration. She had a bad feeling throughout and was sure she would soon be arrested. This upset Renata more than herself. She told her not to worry because she woyld defend herself. She asked Renata to help her by not leaving the house and staying with the nurse. She promised to go to the hospital to find out what happened after she attended to some office matters.

Sara listened as Leslie admitted to her father that she did this herself. He was incredulous but she said she didn't want to become fat and and end up becoming a woman who was badly treated by men. José Luis apologized to her. She told him that every hurtful thing he said to her mother also hurt her.

Renata ambushed Victoria in the kitchen, demanding to know what she ordered done to Mauricio. Victoria told her to take her medication, but Renata did not let up. She picked up a kitchen knife and almost screamed the question again. The maid and Elisa entered the kitchen and saw her wielding the knife. Renata put the knife down, Victoria played the victim as usual despite Renata apologizing, demanding that Renata be committed again. Renata did not let up, accusing her mother of always lying. Victoria said she couldn't take Renata's rants, saying she didn't feel safe and this will end. She left the room.

Eugenio was still looking for Fabricio. Fernanda told him she had called but got his voicemail every time. She ha no idea where he was. He ordered her to locate him and advise him when she finds him.

Fabricio was passed out on Dario's bed at Soledad's house. He got up and checked his watch, telling her that he had no idea where to go the night before. “My life changed overnight,” he said. She told him he could stay as long as he wanted to. He apologized for having been drunk the night before. He said he needed to confirm whether his father had been responsible for her being paralyzed. She confirmed it, ending with “Your father is a monster.”

Adriana told Leo not to provoke his brother. He handed her a document that gave him the right to interrogate El Cobra.

Fabricio listened to his voicemail. He then told Soledad that Dario had been arrested.

Victoria had packed a suitcase, telling Elisa and Majo she could not stay in the house until Renata is committed again. Elisa asked where she was going and she said “To Eugenio's house. And I may as well tell you that I am going to marry him.”
None of her daughters liked this announcement.

Soledad left Eugenio a voicemail telling him to help his son. When she cut off the call she ranted briefly about trying to get Dario to stay away from Eugenio but he didn't listen. Fabricio told her he would do whatever he could to help Dario. Soledad told him to be careful. “You know what he is capable of.”

Victoria knew full well that her daughters would be offended by this. She sarcastically accused them of accusing her of destroying the family. She went on about Renata being crazy and how she had tried to shove her down the stairs and now threaten her with a knife and “Is that what you want?” Renata accused her of provoking her and finished with “You are evil, Mother!” Majo restrained her just in case and Elisa shouted “Enough!” Victoria looked at Renata and said she never wanted to commit her. That she was always on her side and wanted to protect her, claiming that “You father never worried about you. Never took care of you. Left you with me and blamed me for your condition.” She then accused Elisa of being the Golden Child, spoiled with everything. As Renata listened with her eyes widening at every word, Majo accused her of leaving her completely in the hands of the servants. Elisa said to stop destroying the family.

Renata asked Victoria why she didn't tell the others what she had done to her in the psych hospital. When Victoria didn't answer Renata told her sisters that their other had her pregnancy aborted and had her spayed so she could not become pregnant again. Victoria swore this was not true, that her fetus had died upon arrival at the hospital. Renata became agitated. Elisa and Majo restrained her. Victoria accused her of inventing this story. Renata started calling her a murderess. Victoria looked at her with a stone face, turned around, and left.

Fabricio went to the office to talk to Fernanda. She locked the door. He accused her of hiding too much information. He knew that Dario was his half-brother and why didn't she tell him that? She apologized and made an excuse but he wasn't buying it. He now knew of the dirty business and demanded she tell him everything she knew about Eugenio.

Leo confronted Dario, who said he wouldn't talk without a lawyer. He persisted and Dario taunted him with his version of “You can't handle the truth.” He accused Elisa of being an accomplice. He also claimed to have impregnated Julia and had been looking to do the same to Elisa. Leo slammed him up against the wall and hauled off to punch his face.

Labels: imperio