Chapter 3 - Hidden Documents & The Unseen Enemy
Life inside the estate did not become peaceful overnight, but the silence had broken. Clara stayed, moving through the halls with a quiet confidence that grounded the house. Under her care, the girls began to venture out of their bedrooms, though they rarely strayed far from her side.
For me, Lucia’s words burned constantly in my mind. Daddy killed Mommy. She hadn't dreamed up those words. A four-year-old child didn't invent a claim like that out of thin air—she had heard it somewhere.
My answer came late one evening in my study. While reviewing financial ledgers and intelligence reports left behind after the Mendoza cartel was dismantled, my tech specialist flagged a series of encrypted transactions. Substantial sums had been moved from a secondary holding company owned by my family—transferred directly into an off-shore account days before the attack in Queens.
The Mendoza hitmen hadn't tracked Isabella by luck. Someone inside my own inner circle had given them her exact route, time, and vehicle details.
Downstairs, Clara was sitting in the play area, guiding Valentina through a sketch pad. I stood in the doorway, watching quietly. Valentina hesitated, picked up a yellow crayon, and drew a sun in the corner of the paper.
May you like
"That's beautiful, Valentina," Clara whispered softly.
Valentina looked up, met my eyes from across the room, and did not run away. The threat wasn't just in the streets anymore—it was inside my walls. And I had to find out who made my daughter believe I was the monster who destroyed our family.
