CHAPTER 2: THE CHILD WHO WAS ERASED Esteban couldn’t speak. The hospital room felt smaller with every passing second. “One daughter wasn’t enough?” he finally whispered. Yohandra closed her eyes. “No.” Her voice trembled. “There were two.” Luna looked confused. She held onto Esteban’s hand tightly. “Mommy said I had a brother.” The sentence destroyed the last bit of confusion. Esteban looked at Victor. “You knew?” Victor didn’t deny it. “I knew everything.” The anger inside Esteban finally broke. “You knew I had children and you said nothing?” Victor walked closer. “You had a future.” “A future?” Esteban laughed bitterly. “You stole my entire life.” Victor’s expression hardened. “No. I protected this family.” Yohandra shook her head. “Protected?” Her voice became stronger. “You destroyed us.” Seven years earlier. Yohandra had discovered something at Victor’s private clinic. Something illegal. Something that could destroy his empire. She had found records showing Victor had been hiding medical experiments under fake company names. When she threatened to expose him, Victor gave her one choice: Disappear. Or watch Esteban lose everything. So Yohandra ran. But she wasn’t alone. She was pregnant. With twins. A girl. And a boy. Victor allowed Luna to stay hidden because he believed she could be controlled. But the boy… The boy was taken. Esteban’s face turned white. “What happened to my son?” Nobody answered. Then Victor spoke. “He died.” Yohandra immediately shouted: “Liar!” The monitor beside her started beeping faster. Victor remained calm. “You never saw the body.” Esteban stared at him. Because suddenly… everything became clear. The missing child. The fake death. The secrets. “Where is my son?” Victor looked at him. Then smiled. “That’s the question you should have asked seven years ago.” The hospital lights flickered. And outside the room… someone was listening. Someone who knew the truth. Someone who had been waiting for Esteban to return.

5 chapters