Chapter 1 Chance or fate

They say there are times when time and space stop for two people who were meant to be together to meet.

It's nine o'clock in the morning, Amanda runs down the hallway, the news of her mother's relapse fills her with terror. In front of her, in the opposite direction, a woman walks making rapid breaths and holding her belly, both are in the middle of a difficult situation; one of them fearful of the death of her mother, the other about to bring a new life into the world. Their shoulders stumble, they both apologize, there's something in one that surprises the other. But the moment vanishes instantly. Elena takes the aisle for the parturients and Amanda to the emergency side.

None of them have yet come out of their expectation.

"God, that woman looks so much like-"

"Family members of patient Veronica Lugo, please. The nurse peeks into the main corridor.

"I, I, am his daughter.

The nurse approaches, hands him the prescription for medication, and points out:

"You must bring this medicine right now, your mother is quite unwell. If he doesn't get the treatment-" He pauses and shakes his head.

Amanda doesn't need the woman to finish that sentence to know what will happen. Since her mother started with those pains a couple of years ago, she is the one who has been by her side trying to support her. Working day and night to raise the money to get his mother's kidney transplant. In that country, it's not enough to be on the waiting list, always the one who has the most, goes to the top of the list, she knows it.

Desperately she walks with the recipe in her hand, tears running down her cheeks, with the back of her gray sweatshirt, she wipes her face. He pulls out his phone to check how much he has in his account and buy the medicine.

Suddenly, she stumbles upon a man who is a little strange in his behavior, it seems that he is looking for someone in a hurry. She is accompanied by another subject whose appearance terrifies anyone, a scar on his face and a gesture of contempt towards her, make her shudder.

"Excuse me," she excuses herself, with the taller of the two. The man is extremely handsome, with clear eyes, a stubble and a deep gaze.

"Move, Paul. He rebukes his friend, who doesn't stop looking at the girl in surprise.

Amanda quickens her pace, at times she looks back and Pablo does too, their eyes meet again. She watches as they take the aisle to the birthing area.

Cross the street, enter the pharmacy. Ask about the medication.

"I'm sorry, miss, you're exhausted.

Amanda's anguish increases, she doesn't know what to do. He leaves there, walks to the next pharmacy, can't find the medicine either. A block down the road, he finally gets it, but the money is insufficient.

"Please, I need it urgently, my mother is very ill, she is dying.

"I'm sorry, but this is not a place of public charity. They are imported medicines. I can't do anything for you.

Amanda leaves that place devastated, she can't believe that this is the end of her mother, tears run down her face. She crosses the street without being able to see clearly, the horn of the cars that brake near her, stuns her even more.

"Get out of the way, you crazy woman," the driver of the car yells.

She doesn't look at him, she just runs to the sidewalk, enters the hospital through the back door. He runs down the hallway, bumps into someone again, raises his face, it's the same man from minutes ago.

"You, again," he says, his tone firm but tender.

"Excuse me, excuse me," she cries, unable to hide her anguish.

"What's the matter?"

"Excuse me, I don't know you. She adds with a lump in her throat with no one to vent to.

"Can I help you?" "Those words are magical, but she doesn't dare say anything to him, the hand where she holds the paper trembles and she lets it fall.

Pablo bends down, picks up the paper, sees the medicine, and asks again:

"Do you need to buy this?" She barely nods. He turns to his companion.

He takes her arm towards the exit, they go out to the street. He crosses past her with great strides.

"There, there it is," she replies.

"Wait here," he goes to the back, asks for the medicine, buys it, and walks out to the entrance. Grab her arm again and cross along with her. They go all the way to the hospital.

Amanda can't find a way to thank him for his strange gesture. She had prayed so much through tears that she could only be grateful for that miracle.

"I can't thank you for that.

"Don't worry, I know what it feels like. "At least tell me your name," she smiles slightly.

"Amanda Lugo, that's my name. He hurries away, every minute is vital to his mother. Go to the emergency room and carry the medication.

"Here, I'm sorry if I took a while but I didn't have to..." The nurse takes the medicine and walks in to where Amanda's mother is.

She sits down, trying to calm down. He remembers the man's face and soft hand. He thinks he must be that, an angel. Close your eyes and wait for the doctor to come out and talk to him.

Minutes later, the doctor comes out and she goes after him.

"Dr Mario, how is my mother?"

"Amanda, your mother's situation is getting worse and worse, the dialysis isn't working. We must do the transplant as soon as possible.

"Doctor, you know my mother is on the waiting list, I, I haven't been able to do more than I do to help her.

"I know, Amanda," he places his hand on the girl's shoulder, "The next relapse can be deadly. I won't be able to do anything there.

The doctor's words are like a dagger piercing Amanda's heart. Veronica, her mother, is everything to her. It's always been the two of them, for each other, with no one else around them. His father never knew him, he has only heard a few things from him and not very good things at all.

Amanda walks down the hall, back and forth. He waits for his mother to be discharged and return to the boarding house where they rent, everything is chaos in his mind, everything seems to fall apart. He remembers the girl he bumped into a few minutes ago. The resemblance between the two is extreme, does it have something to do with her? Maybe she's her father's daughter? Maybe it's his dopler ganger? She heads to the delivery room. Listen to the voices of the men chatting in front of the operating room door. She recognizes Paul's deep voice, she is paralyzed when she hears that sentence:

"If she doesn't give up the child, we have to kill her," Ruben said.

"Are you crazy?" The boss asked us to take her and the baby alive.

"That bitch is to blame for the mark on my face.

"It wasn't his fault. He was just trying to defend himself.

"Stop the, Pablo. I know what you and she-" He pauses as he hears Amanda's phone ring.

She turns back down the hallway, listens and pretends not to have heard the conversation, suddenly she feels the hand covering her mouth and sees the gun pointed at her temple.

"Were you spying?" The hitman asks her. She shakes her head, as she tries to tell him no.

"Leave her, Reuben. Paul commands. The man obeys, uncovers his mouth, and pushes it away. Paul approaches her.

"Are you okay?" She nods in terror. "Don't listen to my partner, he's a jerk. He is nervous because his wife is giving birth.

He looks at her to see her reaction. Shrewdly, Amanda pretends not to have heard the previous conversation.

"I came to thank you again for what you just did for my mother.

"There's nothing to be thankful for. I was in the same situation with someone I loved very much and because I didn't have any money, that person is no more. The bewilderment in his voice was evident.

"I'm so sorry.

At that moment, the nurse comes out with the child in her arms and Ruben goes after her. Pablo follows him, while Amanda takes a deep breath trying to calm herself. What is happening is not normal. The baby's mother is in danger. She goes to the recovery room. The doctor comes out and she comes in. He sees the woman on the stretcher, the resemblance between them is really too great to think that it is just a consequence. Elena also looks at her and asks in anguish:

"Where's my baby?"

"Okay, they took him to the newborn area.

"No, no. These men want to hurt you. It's my baby. Help me, please. He implores her.

She hears the footsteps approaching and recognizes the voice of that disgusting man, she hides desperately under the curtain.

"I'll see you again, bitch. "Elena is terrified, she tries to scream and he covers her mouth." When you leave here you will leave with us. The boss already knows it's his son. Elena shakes her head, trying to defend her son from that atrocious fate.

In a desperate attempt, he bites Ruben's hand and he, without hesitation, shoots him in the head with the gun using a silencer.

"What the fuck did you do?" Pablo bursts into the room. The boss said he wanted her alive, you.

"The boss only needs his heir, and we've got him.

"You don't know what a mess you've gotten yourself into.

Again Amanda's cell phone begins to vibrate, it is her mother's doctor, something terrible happens, she trembles with panic, she must answer that call, but if she is discovered she will be the next to die.

"Who's there?" He asks and walks over to the curtain, lifts it. "You're dead this time," Ruben smiles.

Pablo puts his hands to his head, this time he had no way to stop his impulsive companion from acting. Amanda begs for her life.