Chapter 2 - The Man Who Was Supposed to Be DeadSebastián could not breathe.
His father had been dead for eleven years.
At least, that was what everyone had told him.
A heart attack.
A private flight.
A closed casket.
A funeral attended by governors, judges, businessmen, and half of the city's old-money families.
Sebastián had been nineteen.
He remembered his mother's black dress.
He remembered the rain.
He remembered standing beside the coffin while Rebeca held his shoulder so tightly that her nails dug into his skin.
"Your father is with God now," she had whispered.
Now his father's number had sent a message.
HE'S ALIVE. COME ALONE.
"Show me the phone," Sebastián said.
Octavio did not move.
Sebastián crossed the room and snatched it from his hand.
"Sebastián!" Rebeca shouted.
He ignored her.
The message was still open.
There was no number displayed, only the contact name.
PAPA
His father's old contact.
The same one Sebastián had kept even after the funeral.
His thumb hovered over the reply field.
Then another message arrived.
YOU WERE NEVER TOLD THE TRUTH.
Valeria watched him.
"Don't answer."
He looked at her.
"How do you know?"
"Because whoever sent that wants you isolated."
Mercer moved closer.
"She's right."
Sebastián stared at him.
"You knew?"
Mercer's expression changed.
Not fear.
Recognition.
"We were hoping you would discover this without being forced."
"Discover what?"
Mercer reached into his coat.
He removed a sealed brown envelope.
On it was one name.
SEBASTIÁN ALCÁZAR
And underneath:
OPEN ONLY IN THE PRESENCE OF THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY.
Sebastián opened it.
Inside was a photograph.
He recognized his father instantly.
Older.
Thinner.
But alive.
The photograph had been taken recently.
Sebastián's knees weakened.
"Where?"
Mercer pointed to the timestamp.
Two days ago.
Sebastián stared at it.
His mother said nothing.
That silence frightened him more than anything.
"You knew," he whispered.
Rebeca's voice was calm.
"I knew your father was alive."
Sebastián looked up.
"You lied to me for eleven years."
"I protected you."
"From what?"
"From him."
He shook his head.
"You said he had a heart attack."
"That is what I needed you to believe."
Sebastián's voice cracked.
"You buried an empty coffin."
Rebeca stepped closer.
"Your father was involved with people who should never have known our family's secrets."
"Which people?"
She did not answer.
Valeria did.
"The ones controlling the money."
Rebeca looked at her sharply.
Valeria continued.
"The shell companies. The offshore accounts. The medical foundation. The construction contracts."
Octavio's face changed.
Sebastián turned toward him.
"You knew too?"
Octavio remained silent.
Mercer nodded toward him.
"Mr. Alcázar, I strongly recommend you do not leave this hospital with your family."
Sebastián looked at him.
"Why?"
Mercer hesitated.
Then he said:
"Because someone has already tried to kill your wife once."
The room became ice-cold.
Sebastián looked at Valeria.
"Once?"
Valeria stared at him.
"I didn't tell you everything."
"Tell me now."
She closed her eyes.
"The accident six months ago."
Sebastián remembered.
Her car had gone off a mountain road.
She survived with minor injuries.
Everyone had called it bad weather.
Valeria shook her head.
"It wasn't an accident."
Rebeca whispered, "Enough."
Valeria ignored her.
"Someone cut the brake line."
Sebastián stared at his mother.
"No."
Valeria looked toward him.
"Your mother knew."
Rebeca's expression hardened.
"Careful."
Valeria reached for another recording.
"You want the truth?"
She pressed play.
Rebeca's voice filled the room.
"The accident failed. We need another solution."
Sebastián recoiled as though he had been struck.
Rebeca rushed toward the recorder.
Mercer blocked her.
"Don't."
She stopped.
Then, unexpectedly, she began to laugh.
Sebastián stared at her.
"What's funny?"
"You still don't understand."
She looked directly at him.
"The baby isn't the reason they want Valeria gone."
Valeria's face changed.
"Sebastián," she whispered.
Rebeca smiled.
"They need what's inside your wife's head."
Mercer stiffened.
"What does that mean?"
Rebeca leaned back.
"Ask Valeria about the Red Ledger."
Valeria went completely still.
Sebastián looked at his wife.
"What is the Red Ledger?"
She said nothing.
"Valeria."
Her lips trembled.
Then she whispered:
"It was supposed to have been destroyed ten years ago."
Sebastián frowned.
"What is it?"
Valeria looked toward Mercer.
"Ask him."
Mercer slowly exhaled.
"The Red Ledger," he said, "is the reason your father disappeared."
A sound came from the hallway.
Heavy footsteps.
Then the power in the hospital went out.
Every light died.
Someone screamed.
In the darkness, a single shot exploded.
And when the emergency lights flickered back on...
May you like
Dr. Salgado was on the floor.
And Valeria was gone.
