It was a quiet afternoon in the colony when Claudia, with her usual enthusiasm, approached Carmen with a fixed idea: to organize a domino tournament. But Carmen, exhausted after a long day, was in no mood for such activities. “No, Claudia, dear!” she said, “I’m not up for dominoes or tournaments today. I’m completely drained.” However, Claudia wasn’t one to give up easily. With a persistent smile, she reminded Carmen that if they didn’t join in, the two couples would soon get bored. She practically begged her to participate, adding another argument: they could convince Gaspar, who would likely be up for it, since he was involved with the lily deal and could use a distraction.

Carmen, half-laughing, found herself giving in to Claudia’s insistent pleas. “Good grief, girl, you’re relentless. Fine, sign me up, just to stop hearing you go on about it.” With this victory, Claudia revealed her true motivation behind organizing the tournament. She wasn’t doing it just for fun—she wanted to help Raúl. He had been going through a tough time and she didn’t want him to feel alone. Carmen raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical of Claudia’s explanation. “For Raúl, you say?” she asked, her voice dripping with doubt.

Claudia quickly clarified, “No, no, of course not. It’s just a friendship thing, Carmen.” But Carmen wasn’t buying it. With her usual blunt honesty, she expressed her thoughts. “Look, Claudia, I hate to say it, but what you have with Raúl is anything but simple. There’s not much friendship about it.” The conversation grew heated, and it was at that moment that Fina stepped in, trying to calm things down. “Come on, don’t be harsh on each other,” she pleaded. “The important thing here is to help Raúl. He’s really struggling to adjust to life here in the colony. He has no friends, and things aren’t going well for him.”

Carmen, a little more relaxed but still with a sarcastic edge, commented, “He was having more fun when he was tangled up in that mess with Camarina.” Fina nodded, acknowledging that Raúl’s involvement with Camarina had caused him trouble, and that he was clearly affected by it. Carmen, reflecting on her father’s love for domino games, started to warm up to the idea. “Well, who knows. My father used to enjoy those games. Maybe it’ll help Raúl too,” she said, lowering her guard slightly.

However, Fina gave Claudia a pointed look and finished the conversation with a phrase that carried a double meaning: “Yes, the tournament will be good for him, but the question is… will it be good for you, Claudia?” The question hung in the air, leaving a lingering doubt. Was Claudia truly doing this to help Raúl, or was there something more behind her intentions?

¿Qué opinas tú? ¿Crees que Claudia tiene un interés oculto o realmente lo hace por ayudar a Raúl?