The days passed, heavy and restless.
Word began to spread among Carlos's servants, carried quietly from corridor to courtyard, from stable to chapel. They spoke of the attempted murder of Amelia at the Gómez estate, of how she had been rescued at the very gates of death, and of how she now lived under the protection of Carlos's household. The story grew with each retelling, acquiring new details—some true, others embroidered by fear and rumor.
Though the whispers did not fully erase suspicion toward the Gómez family, they dulled its edge. The people of Antioquia became more cautious, more restrained. After all, if a secret army truly existed, then those who rushed too eagerly to accuse the Gómez family might themselves become suspects. In uncertain times, silence was safer than outrage.
Carlos understood this well.
