Faced with Fernando's imminent death, Octavio decides to return to his old home and meets Ana Cristina, a girl who was raised by his uncle. Marcial intends to keep Fernando's inheritance and fuels Octavio's hatred towards his uncle.
Octavio kisses Ana Cristina by force, causing a love-hate relationship to emerge between them. Octavio, Josefa and Ana Cristiana are accompanied by the entire town to say their last goodbye to Fernando.
Marcial forces Frida to help him convince Octavio to sell him the factory. Ana Cristina confronts Octavio on behalf of her employees to prevent them from being deducted for the day, but he humiliates her and José Alfredo comes to her defense.
Frida meets Octavio again and confesses that Fernando was to blame for their separation. Gabriel agrees to continue fighting to get money to help his father. Octavio asks Frida to marry him.
José Alfredo breaks his engagement with Ana Cristina when he realizes that she does not love him. Ana Cristina and Octavio decide to accept what they feel for each other, but their relationship becomes complicated with the reading of the will.
Octavio finds out that if he does not marry Ana Cristina, she will be the one who keeps the entire inheritance. Ana Cristina asks José Alfredo to marry her and refuses to comply with Fernando's last wish, but Josefa asks him to reconsider.
Ana Cristina is willing to fulfill the oath she made to Fernando despite Octavio's distrust. Frida tries to convince Octavio to get married and make life impossible for Ana Cristina.
Octavio and Ana Cristiana get married civilly. Frida kisses Octavio in front of all the wedding guests. María Magdalena asks Rodolfo not to reveal to José Alfredo and Gabriel that one of them is not her son.
Ana Cristina claims her place as Octavio's wife, humiliating Frida. Marcial discovers that Octavio is taking charge of Rodolfo's recovery. Octavio decides to stay to work at the factory.
Ana Cristina manages to stop Frida from humiliating her and embarrassing her in front of Octavio's friends. At Josefa's request, Ana Cristina takes her place in the factory, causing Octavio's annoyance. Marcial kills Rodolfo.
Marcial fears that with the arrival of Ana Cristina and Octavio at the factory his bad business dealings will be discovered. Ana Cristina confesses to Octavio that she loves him and he kisses her passionately.
Ana Cristina and Octavio get married in a secret religious ceremony. Marcial tells Frida to fake a suicide attempt to blackmail Octavio. Rebeca confesses to María Magdalena that she has always been in love with a forbidden man.
Ana Cristina becomes jealous after seeing Frida with Octavio in her bedroom. Josefa asks Ana Cristina if she is in love with Octavio, but she denies it even though it is true. Ana Cristina reaffirms her love for Octavio and gives herself to him.
Rebeca confesses to María Magdalena that she was in love with Rodolfo. Gabriel discovers Ana Cristina and Octavio kissing. José Alfredo hears Rebeca say that one of María Magdalena's two children is not his.
José Alfredo confesses to Ana Cristina that María Magdalena might not be his mother. Gabriel becomes jealous after seeing José Alfredo hugging Ana Cristina. Cayetana sets the stables on fire and Ana Cristina risks her life to save her horse.
Octavio manages to save Ana Cristina from the fire in the stables. Chelo tells Manuel the truth about Fuensanta's mother. Ana Cristina tells Octavio that they should pretend to hate her more so that Marcial does not suspect their relationship.
Manuel discovers Ana Cristina and Octavio half-naked. Marcial tells Mary Magdalene that Gabriel is becoming an alcoholic. Manuel confesses to Father Jesús that he already knows that Ana Cristina and Octavio were married in the church.
María Magdalena goes to the factory to ask for work. Rosalía tells Facundo that she had a son. José Alfredo tells Gabriel that one of the two is not the son of Mary Magdalene.
Frida and Marcial discover Octavio and Ana Cristina kissing and realize that they have been deceived. Nazario confesses to Fuensanta that he loves her, but she tells him that she is in love with José Alfredo.
Octavio finds a letter that Fernando supposedly wrote where he said that he had a relationship with Ana Cristina. Marcial tells Octavio that Ana Cristina and Fernando were lovers. Octavio rejects Ana Cristina after believing that she was her uncle's lover.