He hadn't meant to walk in on her changing. Bruno had actually been checking on her because he was worried how she would react with the Rojas over. He was planning on retreating when he first noticed her shirt was up, but then he saw it. There was horrible scarring up and down her back. They looked deep and were layered on top of one another. He couldn't help the gasp that slipped out over the horrors written on her skin.

As soon as Claudia heard the gasp, she pulled down her shirt and whipped around. Bruno wasn't sure what she had seen in his face, but whatever it was caused her to back up. She had never looked at him with so much fear in her eyes. His heart broke at her reaction.

"Claudia, please tell me…how did you get those scars?"

Bruno hoped she would tell the truth, but at the same time he prayed there was another explanation. He knew otherwise, but he wished she hadn't been through the pain that would have caused such scars.

"They're old, it… it shouldn't matter," she stuttered backing up a step, "Just ignore-" 

Bruno walked closer to her. "Some of them looked fresh. We both know how you got them, so please, for my sake, answer the question. How did you get those marks?" 

Claudia was terrified. Her breathing had sped up and the poor girl looked like she was going to faint. In all reality, she thought she might. She had worked so hard to avoid this. She had done everything right, but she couldn't  lie her way out of this one. She had no clue what she was going to do. It felt like a nightmare. Bruno wanted to try and calm her a bit, so he reached out to grab her hand to ground her. She flinched, but let him carefully take her hand in his.

"Please, little mouse," he was begging now, "I can't help you unless-"

"They don't like it when I mess up. If you knew, why would you ask? Why did you have to ask?" she quickly interrupted before pulling away, backing up, and turning her eyes to the ground. Tears slowly began to move down her face. "I'm such a mess up, that I deserve-"

"You don't deserve that! You could never deserve that," Bruno couldn't believe what he was hearing. He slowly approached her with heavy  steps. "Please look at me."

She shook her head, but turned around, eyes still on the floor. He could see the tears now and it upset him more than he could convey. She seemed so vulnerable and terrified because of him. He hated that he had made her feel that way.

Bruno slowly reached out and hesitated for a second before placing a finger under her chin. She braced herself to see a look of disgust as he slowly tilted her head up, but instead she saw the opposite. 

"Little mouse," he brushed a few tears away, "I swear they will never lay their hands on you again. I promise."

He looked at her with such determination that she almost believed him, but she couldn't possibly. No one had stopped it in the past and she doubted anyone would in the future. It was the way things were. The sky was blue and she was meant to be beaten by the Rojas. It was a sad truth of life. 

"You can't stop it. You have to promise not to tell anyone," he tried to interrupt but Claudia continued. "Please Bruno, can you imagine what they'll think? I'm scarred and hideous because of it. I can just continue working for them and it'll be fine. I'm used to it. Please...please don't tell anyone."

As soon as she said that, she was pulled into an embrace. He couldn't stand seeing her in such pain, and just had to comfort her. She moved in closer at the contact. Her tears came faster and she began to shake. He shouldn't make promises he couldn't keep, but in that moment she felt so safe. She had trusted before and it had always come back to haunt her. She hadn't been really able to trust anyone since she was little, but she wanted to trust him. She was starting to trust him.

"You shouldn't have had to get used to it. You are never going back there, do you hear me? I won't allow it, little mouse. They have hurt you and you have endured for much too long." Bruno drew her in closer and rubbed her back as she cried into his ruana.

"Please don't." She quietly begged him.

She couldn't stop working there. It was the only way to show the family she could help too. To hell with her feelings, they didn't matter. All that mattered was that she was proving herself so that she could belong. She just wanted to belong with the family. She felt like no matter what she did she would never belong. Working with the Rojas gave her something in common with the rest of the Madrigals. It made her more like them. Maybe that would make her belong more. If it stopped, then she wouldn't belong.

He pulled back and looked at her. "Why won't you just let me help you? I'm sure mama would understand if we told her. She would stop it all immediately. She would never let someone continue to be hurt like this."

She began to sob at that. She was so scared. What would the others think? What did he think? He seemed so upset and it was all because of her. She was nothing, but a broken scarred thing who deserved nothing and yet he had pulled her into his arms as if she belonged there. She wanted to stay there forever, safe and warm. She slowly knelt down and he followed her before pulling her back into his arms. Her head rested on his shoulder and she continued to sob into his ruana. 

"Lo siento. I'm so sorry," she said between sobs. " I should've hid it better and now you're upset and...and, " she let out a loud sob, "and I'm so sorry. So very sorry."

"Don't apologize. Not for this. Never for this," he moved through her hair with one hand. He was trying so hard to comfort her, but he knew she needed to cry right now.

"You must think I'm a wreck. I'm just a broken thing."

"No, I think you're brave. You've suffered so much and yet you're still so good. You may be cracked, but we can put you back together. I just want you to be happier. Now here is what is going to happen. We are going to talk to mama-"

"Please no," she looked up at him with tear soaked eyes and he almost broke. It was hard to say no to her. He was starting to realize that he would do anything to keep her happy. She looked so scared, but he knew this was for her own good.

"You don't have to tell her about this. You just have to tell her that you won't go back to the Rojas. Please, little mouse. I don't...I don't want to see you get even worse. Seeing you come home from their house everyday kills me."

She pulled away and put her hands in her lap. At least he wasn't insisting she tell everyone. She didn't think she would ever be able to handle that. At least it was him that found out her terrible secret. Pepa would have immediately told. The tears fell slower now, and Bruno hated how she refused to catch his eye. It made him feel like he was in the wrong, but he knew he had to stand his ground.

"What if she says no? What if she thinks I'm avoiding my duties? Maybe I should just-"

Bruno stopped her there. "If she acts like that I'll try and handle it. No, I will handle it. I won't let anyone stop me."

He seemed so different then usual, much more confident. He felt more confident. It's like his feelings for her made him confident and he knew he had to stop her from going back there with all his heart and soul. This time he could stop it. This time he would stop it. Eventually she looked up at him through wet lashes as the sobs slowed. He smiled at her and wiped a few more tears away. She slightly leaned into his hand as he did so, finally understanding the compassion he held for her as she looked into his emerald green eyes.

"Andromeda got saved, so please, let me help save you. You said you loved that story because she got saved, and now it can happen for you." He kept his hand on her cheek. "You'll be so much happier, little mouse. We all worry so much about you."

Despite her love for the Andromeda story, she had never expected to actually be saved. Claudia had believed she would be trapped in her own personal hell until the day she died. It made her feel deeply ashamed that she had to feel like she needed saving. She was supposed to be able to take care of herself, and here she was a wreck and needing help. It shamed her to her core.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you," she said quietly "I should've tried harder to cover it up."

"No." He shook his head. "Never say that. We would've rather known. That way we could have helped earlier. We could have prevented this."

"Why do you wanna help so badly? No one has ever wanted to before. Everyone just ignored all the red flags."

He smiled at her. "Because I care. You don't understand how easy it is to care about you. My entire family cares about you."

Bruno took her hand and she looked up at him in shock. Claudia wasn't used to people caring, and then there he was. Since she had met him, he had been caring and sweet to her, no questions asked. It made her heart feel full, and she knew she could always trust him. Despite the turmoil in her mind, she pulled him into a hug.

"Thank you for caring. For being the first one who really cares. "

He smiled and hugged her back. If only she knew how much he really did care. He figured when this was all over he would finally tell her.

"I promise I will care about you until the day I die." Bruno whispered. 

"And in return I will protect you with my heart and soul," she whispered back before pulling back and brushing the tears from her cheeks. "I'll tell suegra tomorrow."

He smiled. "And I'll be with you every step of the way little mouse. I'm sure if we ask the girls, they will be too." He stood up and offered her a hand. Claudia immediately took it and he pulled her up.

"Now tonight just ignore them," he told her,"And remember I'll be with you the whole time. I won't let them do anything to you."

She smiled at him. "I know you won't."

Claudia really did know. She was starting to suspect he felt the same for her as she did for him. Her eyes were still watery and she was still scared, but as long as she was with him, well she hoped it would be okay. Maybe this was for the best. It was freeing to know that someone else knew and wanted to help.

There was a knock on the door.

"Mama says it's time to come down. The Rojas are here."

Claudia took a deep breath and Bruno held out his hand.

"Remember I'll be there the whole way." He said.

She took his hand and then they walked out together.