Chapter 6
Ricardo stared at his brother.
“No.”
Mateo looked destroyed.
“I survived.”
“You told everyone you were home.”
“I lied.”
“Why?”
“Because Helena made me.”
Ricardo grabbed him.
“You let Camila believe Gabriel died alone?”
“No. Camila knew.”
Ricardo stopped.
“What?”
“She helped me hide it.”
Everything suddenly became harder to understand.
Detective Alvarez closed the door.
“Nobody leaves this room until I hear the complete story.”
Mateo sat down.
The night Gabriel died, he had called Mateo.
He wanted help confronting Victor.
Gabriel had discovered Victor was moving Camila’s trust money through shell companies.
He also suspected Helena had approved everything.
Mateo agreed to meet him.
They drove together.
Then a truck appeared behind them.
“It kept following us,” Mateo said.
“Did you see the driver?” Alvarez asked.
“No.”
“What happened?”
“Gabriel tried to lose it.”
His voice shook.
“The truck hit us.”
Ricardo felt sick.
“We went off the road.”
“And you survived?”
“I crawled out before the car caught fire.”
“Why wasn’t your body found at the scene?”
“I ran.”
Ricardo stared at him.
“You ran?”
“I was nineteen. I was terrified.”
“You were twenty-seven.”
Mateo closed his eyes.
“I was terrified anyway.”
“What happened next?”
“Helena found me before police did.”
Ricardo’s blood chilled.
“How?”
“She was driving behind Victor.”
Silence.
Mateo looked toward Alvarez.
“That’s why I knew it wasn’t an accident.”
“Then why didn’t you tell police?”
“She said she would say I caused the crash.”
Ricardo laughed in disbelief.
“And you believed her?”
“She had my messages with Camila. She said she would tell everyone I wanted Gabriel dead so I could have Camila.”
Ricardo understood the trap.
Jealous lover.
Dead husband.
Secret biological father.
Perfect motive.
Mateo continued.
“Camila begged me to disappear from Bia’s life.”
“Why?”
“To protect Bia.”
Ricardo shook his head.
“You all kept protecting Bia with lies.”
Mateo looked down.
“I know.”
Alvarez received a message.
The farmhouse Victor had named was owned by one of his shell companies.
Police were already surrounding the area from a distance.
“We are not sending Ricardo and Mateo in alone,” Alvarez said.
Ricardo looked at him.
“Then what?”
“We control the exchange.”
Forty minutes later, Ricardo and Mateo approached the farmhouse carrying a duplicate flash drive.
Police tactical teams waited beyond the tree line.
Ricardo’s heartbeat sounded like thunder.
The front door opened.
Victor stepped outside.
He held Bia by the shoulder.
She was crying.
But alive.
“Uncle Ricardo!”
Ricardo took a step.
Victor pulled her back.
“Not yet.”
“Let her go.”
“The drive.”
Ricardo held it up.
Victor smiled.
Then someone appeared behind him.
Helena.
Ricardo’s stomach dropped.
“You.”
Helena looked calm.
Too calm.
“Give Victor the drive.”
“You kidnapped your granddaughter.”
“She is not my granddaughter.”
Mateo flinched.
Helena noticed.
“You finally told him.”
Bia looked toward Mateo.
“What?”
Nobody answered.
Helena smiled cruelly.
“Poor child.”
Ricardo shouted, “Don’t.”
But Helena continued.
“The man you call Uncle Mateo is your real father.”
Bia froze.
Mateo’s face collapsed.
“Bia—”
She stared at him.
“My daddy is Gabriel.”
“He was your father,” Mateo said desperately.
“No.”
“Bia, listen—”
“No!”
Her scream tore through everyone.
Victor became distracted for half a second.
That was enough.
Bia bit his hand.
Victor shouted.
She ran.
Ricardo rushed forward and grabbed her.
A police command thundered from the darkness.
“POLICE! DROP YOUR WEAPONS!”
Victor reached inside his coat.
Mateo tackled him.
Helena ran toward the back door.
Officers flooded the property.
Within seconds, Victor was on the ground.
Helena was caught near a rear fence.
Ricardo held Bia.
She sobbed into his chest.
“Everybody lied to me.”
Ricardo closed his eyes.
“Yes.”
She pulled back.
“Did Mommy lie too?”
His heart broke.
“Yes.”
Bia stared at him.
May you like
Then she asked the question Ricardo had feared.
“Why should I trust any of you again?”
