Esmeralda 25: Assigned to Kill!

Lucio calmed down Esmeralda and examined unconscious Dominga, seeing that she had concussion as a result of a heavy blow on her head. When Melesio returned, Lucio threatened and chase him away. He took advantage of the situation, knowing that Esmeralda could not see what he was doing, he began to strangulate an unconscious Dominga, almost to death, until the miraculous arrival of Florecita at the hut, which interrupted his evil plans. He therefore quickly withdrew his deathly grip from Dominga's neck. Florecita later told her father and brother, Adrián, about the attempted murder of Dominga by Lucio.

Fátima counseled Rodolfo to change from his strong-arm and arm-twisting of tactics on his son over Esmeralda. So, he agreed and approached Lucio with a proposal to to kill Dominga, who had become a thorn in his flesh. Scheming Fátima also approached José Armando, asking him not to leave his inheritance, and should go and discuss with his father again, because she felt that Rodolfo may have changed his mind about the ultimatum he gave him. José Armando ignored the hypocritical mediation of Fátima and left Casa Grande.

As Lucio returned and was about to carry out Rodolfo's order, through injecting Dominga with a deadly and poisonous substance, José Armando arrived, and knew immediately, as a medical doctor, that Lucio was about to inject this poor woman to murder her. He became furious and threw Lucio out of Dominga's hut.

José Armando took care of Dominga and Esmeralda and attended to their medical needs, all night, and even passed the night in the hut with them. He assured Esmeralda that she would very soon be wedded to him, and become lady Esmeralda Peñarreal.