The stillness of La Promessa is about to shatter.
In the coming episodes, a silent arrival will set off a chain reaction that shakes the estate to its core — a single object, seemingly harmless, yet loaded with venom.

It begins with an unexpected delivery. A large, mysterious package arrives at the gates of the palace, carried in without fanfare but watched with growing curiosity. When the butler, his hands trembling, finally unwraps it before the gathered staff, the reveal is nothing short of chilling: a grand, imposing portrait of Marchesa Cruz — sent directly from her prison cell. No letter. No explanation. Just her painted face, gazing out as if she had never left.

By the next day, the portrait hangs in the heart of the grand salon, precisely where Cruz once had an old family painting removed years before. This isn’t mere decoration — it’s a declaration of war. Even in absence, Cruz makes her presence undeniable. Her painted eyes seem to follow anyone who crosses the room. Servants whisper of strange sensations — some claim the eyes move, others swear they’ve heard faint murmurs in the stillness.

No one feels the weight of it more than Manuel. Every glance at that face reopens old wounds: the attack on Jana, the sleepless nights, the unanswered questions, the rage. Worst of all is the knowledge that his mother — even behind bars — still exerts control over his life.

That control pushes him to the breaking point. One night, consumed by fury, Manuel storms into the salon and tears the portrait from the wall. The destruction feels liberating… until something hidden within the ruined canvas emerges.

Behind the shredded cloth lies a sealed letter, stamped with red wax and written in his mother’s unmistakable hand. As Manuel reads, his pulse quickens. The truth it holds is catastrophic.

Cruz confesses that she had been blackmailed for years by Leocadia, who threatened to expose a devastating secret from her past. In desperation, Cruz once asked Romulo to remove Leocadia from their lives, but he refused — instead protecting her. Years later, Leocadia returned, feigning friendship while demanding wealth, influence, and status. Her ambitions went so far as to manipulate Manuel’s love for Jana, using it as a weapon.

But the letter’s most damning revelation is this: it was Leocadia, aided by Lorenzo, who sabotaged Jana’s treatment. The poisoning, the silence from Cruz, the entire chain of events — all part of a calculated plan to destroy the marchesa’s legacy and ruin Manuel’s life. “Forgive me, my son,” the letter ends, “but now the truth must come to light. Take this to Captain Burdina. He will know what to do.”

From that moment, the balance of power in the estate shifts violently.

The Shadow in the Halls

Even before the letter is read, the portrait had already infected the household. At dawn, maids exchange nervous glances in the corridors. The young gardener swears he saw the marchesa wink at him, earning uneasy laughter from others. Even Pia, passing with a basket of linens, stops before the painting, murmuring that it’s not vanity but a message: Cruz is still here.

Lorenzo and Leocadia both pause before it, sensing something more — a challenge, a provocation, a reminder of Cruz’s enduring power. Their private conversation that night confirms their fear: Cruz is reclaiming control without ever leaving her cell. Lorenzo suggests destroying the painting; Leocadia refuses. Instead, she urges him to visit Cruz in prison to uncover her intentions. His refusal only fuels her urgency — she knows if Cruz returns, everything she’s built will be obliterated.

Manuel’s Breaking Point

For Manuel, the portrait becomes an unbearable specter. Every corner of the palace whispers of his mother and of Jana. Late one night, unable to sleep, he ventures into the grand salon. Standing before the painting, he mutters, “Enough.” He pulls it down, the crash echoing through the room, then slashes it apart with a hidden knife. The violence is raw, each tear through the canvas a scream he never gave voice to. But it’s in the ruin that the hidden letter falls into his hands — and with it, the unraveling of long-buried lies.

The Confrontation

Before finding the letter, Manuel had already confronted his father. In a charged exchange, he begged Alonso to remove the portrait, calling it an insult — a daily reminder of Jana’s suffering. But Alonso, solemn and unyielding, refused. He insisted that until the full truth was known, nothing should be done in haste. This, to Manuel, felt like betrayal. The argument ended with Manuel slamming the door, his anger boiling into the destructive act that would reveal the letter.

The Storm to Come

Now armed with his mother’s confession, Manuel stands at a dangerous crossroads. The letter not only accuses Leocadia and Lorenzo of crimes that could dismantle their positions, it hints at an even darker possibility — that Jana may still be alive, hidden away as part of the same conspiracy.

The revelation turns whispers into open tension. Loyalties fracture. Old alliances rot from within. If Manuel takes the letter to Captain Burdina, the ensuing investigation could topple the estate’s hierarchy and drag every secret into daylight.

And somewhere, in her cell, Cruz smiles — for whether as enemy or reluctant ally, she has once again made herself the center of La Promessa’s fate.

The chaos has only just begun. No one is safe, and the truth, once freed, may destroy more than just reputations — it could bring the entire estate down.

Stay alert. The next move could change everything.