CHAPTER 11: THE MAN WHO CREATED THE HEIR
The man stood in the doorway.
Everyone was silent.
Even Valentina.
That terrified me more than anything.
Because I had seen Mateo Vargas surrounded by fear.
I had seen Adrian Valdez make powerful people hesitate.
But this man...
this old man with silver hair and a calm expression...
made everyone look like they were facing something much older.
Something much darker.
He looked at me.
Not with hatred.
Not with anger.
With pride.
Like a scientist looking at the final result of an experiment.
"My child."
The words made my stomach turn.
I stepped backward.
"Who are you?"
The man smiled.
"You don't remember me?"
I shook my head.
"Should I?"
A strange sadness crossed his face.
"No."
He walked slowly into the archive.
"That was the point."
Valentina immediately raised her weapon.
"Stay away from him."
The old man looked at her.
"Still protecting Elena's son?"
His expression changed slightly.
"Your mother had a weakness."
My hands tightened.
"Don't talk about my mother."
The man's eyes moved back to me.
"There."
A small smile appeared.
"That anger."
He looked at the files around him.
"Exactly what we predicted."
I hated the way he talked.
Like I wasn't a person.
Like I was a result.
"What is your name?"
He stopped.
Then answered:
"Sebastian Mendoza."
The name meant nothing to me.
But Valentina reacted.
Her face went pale.
"No..."
I looked at her.
"You know him?"
She didn't answer.
Sebastian smiled.
"Everyone knows me."
He looked at the black ring on his finger.
"I am the reason the Mendoza bloodline survived."
A cold feeling entered my chest.
"You are my grandfather?"
Silence.
Sebastian smiled.
"Biologically."
The answer felt wrong.
Not like family.
Like ownership.
"Then why don't I remember you?"
"Because Rafael erased your memories."
My father.
Again.
Another secret.
I shook my head.
"No."
Sebastian walked closer.
"Your father loved you."
A pause.
"But love makes people weak."
He touched one of the files.
"Rafael believed he could destroy what generations had built."
"He believed he could take you away and give you a normal life."
Sebastian laughed softly.
"He was wrong."
"Why?"
The question came out before I could stop it.
"Why couldn't I have a normal life?"
Sebastian looked at me.
"Because you were never normal."
The words hurt.
Even though I knew they were meant to.
"You were born into a war."
"Your blood carries responsibility."
I clenched my fists.
"I never asked for that."
Sebastian nodded.
"Exactly."
A pause.
"That is why you are different."
I frowned.
"What?"
"Every Mendoza heir before you wanted power."
He looked at me.
"You don't."
The room became quiet.
"You grew up without anything."
"You know hunger."
"You know fear."
"You know what it means to be ignored."
His eyes narrowed.
"That makes you more dangerous than all of them."
I didn't like those words.
Dangerous.
Everyone used that word.
Like there was something inside me waiting to escape.
"What did you do to me?"
Sebastian looked at the files.
"We prepared you."
My stomach turned.
"Prepared me?"
"Your brain."
"Your instincts."
"Your ability to adapt."
He said the words casually.
Like he was discussing a machine.
"You were designed to survive."
I stared.
"I am not a machine."
Sebastian's expression changed.
For the first time...
he looked annoyed.
"No."
He stepped closer.
"You are much more valuable than a machine."
Valentina moved between us.
"You're lying."
Sebastian looked at her.
"Am I?"
He pointed at me.
"Ask him."
I frowned.
"Ask me what?"
Sebastian smiled.
"Ask yourself why you can remember things you were never taught."
Silence.
I thought about it.
The river.
The hidden door.
The trap.
The cameras.
The symbols.
Things I noticed.
Things I understood.
Things that shouldn't make sense.
A terrifying thought appeared.
"What did you do?"
Sebastian didn't answer.
He didn't need to.
Because the files did.
I opened another folder.
Inside was a document.
NEURAL ADAPTATION PROGRAM.
My hands trembled.
I turned the page.
Subject Aurelio Mendoza demonstrates accelerated pattern recognition.
Another page.
Emotional control exceeds expectations.
Another.
Memory suppression successful.
I froze.
Memory suppression.
I looked up.
"You erased my memories."
Sebastian nodded.
"To protect you."
I laughed.
The same excuse.
Again.
"Everyone says that."
My voice became cold.
"But all you did was take pieces of me."
For a moment...
nobody spoke.
Then Sebastian said something unexpected.
"You are angry."
"Good."
I frowned.
"What?"
"Anger means you still belong to yourself."
The sentence confused me.
Sebastian looked almost proud.
"That was the one thing we couldn't remove."
"What?"
"Your choice."
The archive lights suddenly flickered.
A sound came from outside.
Footsteps.
Many footsteps.
Sebastian looked toward the door.
"They are coming."
Valentina tightened her grip.
"Who?"
Sebastian smiled.
"The old world."
The door opened.
Not violently.
Slowly.
A group of armed people entered.
But they weren't Mendoza soldiers.
They wore no symbols.
No uniforms.
No identification.
At the front was a woman.
Older.
Elegant.
Her eyes immediately found me.
Then she looked at Sebastian.
"You failed."
Sebastian's smile disappeared.
"You are late."
The woman ignored him.
She looked at me.
"Aurelio."
My name.
Again.
Everyone knew it.
"Who are you?"
The woman answered:
"My name is Isabella Cruz."
Valentina froze.
"Mother..."
The room went silent.
I looked at Valentina.
"Your mother?"
She nodded slowly.
But her expression was not happiness.
It was fear.
Isabella looked at me.
"I was the one who helped Elena hide you."
My heart raced.
Another person from my past.
Another secret.
"Why are you here?"
She stepped closer.
"Because I made a promise to your mother."
A pause.
"And tonight, I am here to fulfill it."
She looked at Sebastian.
"Before he turns you into what he created."
Sebastian smiled.
"And what do you think Elena wanted?"
Isabella's eyes moved to me.
"The truth."
She reached into her coat.
And pulled out a small envelope.
Old.
Damaged.
My name written on it.
But this time...
the handwriting was my mother's.
My breathing stopped.
"Elena left this after she discovered the final secret."
I looked at the envelope.
"What final secret?"
Isabella stared at Sebastian.
Then whispered:
"The reason Aurelio was chosen."
Silence.
She handed me the letter.
I opened it.
Only one sentence was written.
My mother's final warning.
"Aurelio, if you ever meet Sebastian Mendoza, remember this..."
My hands shook.
I continued reading.
"He is not your creator."
I looked up.
Everyone froze.
Then I read the final words.
"He is the first person who tried to kill you."CHAPTER 11: THE MAN WHO CREATED THE HEIR
The man stood in the doorway.
Everyone was silent.
Even Valentina.
That terrified me more than anything.
Because I had seen Mateo Vargas surrounded by fear.
I had seen Adrian Valdez make powerful people hesitate.
But this man...
this old man with silver hair and a calm expression...
made everyone look like they were facing something much older.
Something much darker.
He looked at me.
Not with hatred.
Not with anger.
With pride.
Like a scientist looking at the final result of an experiment.
"My child."
The words made my stomach turn.
I stepped backward.
"Who are you?"
The man smiled.
"You don't remember me?"
I shook my head.
"Should I?"
A strange sadness crossed his face.
"No."
He walked slowly into the archive.
"That was the point."
Valentina immediately raised her weapon.
"Stay away from him."
The old man looked at her.
"Still protecting Elena's son?"
His expression changed slightly.
"Your mother had a weakness."
My hands tightened.
"Don't talk about my mother."
The man's eyes moved back to me.
"There."
A small smile appeared.
"That anger."
He looked at the files around him.
"Exactly what we predicted."
I hated the way he talked.
Like I wasn't a person.
Like I was a result.
"What is your name?"
He stopped.
Then answered:
"Sebastian Mendoza."
The name meant nothing to me.
But Valentina reacted.
Her face went pale.
"No..."
I looked at her.
"You know him?"
She didn't answer.
Sebastian smiled.
"Everyone knows me."
He looked at the black ring on his finger.
"I am the reason the Mendoza bloodline survived."
A cold feeling entered my chest.
"You are my grandfather?"
Silence.
Sebastian smiled.
"Biologically."
The answer felt wrong.
Not like family.
Like ownership.
"Then why don't I remember you?"
"Because Rafael erased your memories."
My father.
Again.
Another secret.
I shook my head.
"No."
Sebastian walked closer.
"Your father loved you."
A pause.
"But love makes people weak."
He touched one of the files.
"Rafael believed he could destroy what generations had built."
"He believed he could take you away and give you a normal life."
Sebastian laughed softly.
"He was wrong."
"Why?"
The question came out before I could stop it.
"Why couldn't I have a normal life?"
Sebastian looked at me.
"Because you were never normal."
The words hurt.
Even though I knew they were meant to.
"You were born into a war."
"Your blood carries responsibility."
I clenched my fists.
"I never asked for that."
Sebastian nodded.
"Exactly."
A pause.
"That is why you are different."
I frowned.
"What?"
"Every Mendoza heir before you wanted power."
He looked at me.
"You don't."
The room became quiet.
"You grew up without anything."
"You know hunger."
"You know fear."
"You know what it means to be ignored."
His eyes narrowed.
"That makes you more dangerous than all of them."
I didn't like those words.
Dangerous.
Everyone used that word.
Like there was something inside me waiting to escape.
"What did you do to me?"
Sebastian looked at the files.
"We prepared you."
My stomach turned.
"Prepared me?"
"Your brain."
"Your instincts."
"Your ability to adapt."
He said the words casually.
Like he was discussing a machine.
"You were designed to survive."
I stared.
"I am not a machine."
Sebastian's expression changed.
For the first time...
he looked annoyed.
"No."
He stepped closer.
"You are much more valuable than a machine."
Valentina moved between us.
"You're lying."
Sebastian looked at her.
"Am I?"
He pointed at me.
"Ask him."
I frowned.
"Ask me what?"
Sebastian smiled.
"Ask yourself why you can remember things you were never taught."
Silence.
I thought about it.
The river.
The hidden door.
The trap.
The cameras.
The symbols.
Things I noticed.
Things I understood.
Things that shouldn't make sense.
A terrifying thought appeared.
"What did you do?"
Sebastian didn't answer.
He didn't need to.
Because the files did.
I opened another folder.
Inside was a document.
NEURAL ADAPTATION PROGRAM.
My hands trembled.
I turned the page.
Subject Aurelio Mendoza demonstrates accelerated pattern recognition.
Another page.
Emotional control exceeds expectations.
Another.
Memory suppression successful.
I froze.
Memory suppression.
I looked up.
"You erased my memories."
Sebastian nodded.
"To protect you."
I laughed.
The same excuse.
Again.
"Everyone says that."
My voice became cold.
"But all you did was take pieces of me."
For a moment...
nobody spoke.
Then Sebastian said something unexpected.
"You are angry."
"Good."
I frowned.
"What?"
"Anger means you still belong to yourself."
The sentence confused me.
Sebastian looked almost proud.
"That was the one thing we couldn't remove."
"What?"
"Your choice."
The archive lights suddenly flickered.
A sound came from outside.
Footsteps.
Many footsteps.
Sebastian looked toward the door.
"They are coming."
Valentina tightened her grip.
"Who?"
Sebastian smiled.
"The old world."
The door opened.
Not violently.
Slowly.
A group of armed people entered.
But they weren't Mendoza soldiers.
They wore no symbols.
No uniforms.
No identification.
At the front was a woman.
Older.
Elegant.
Her eyes immediately found me.
Then she looked at Sebastian.
"You failed."
Sebastian's smile disappeared.
"You are late."
The woman ignored him.
She looked at me.
"Aurelio."
My name.
Again.
Everyone knew it.
"Who are you?"
The woman answered:
"My name is Isabella Cruz."
Valentina froze.
"Mother..."
The room went silent.
I looked at Valentina.
"Your mother?"
She nodded slowly.
But her expression was not happiness.
It was fear.
Isabella looked at me.
"I was the one who helped Elena hide you."
My heart raced.
Another person from my past.
Another secret.
"Why are you here?"
She stepped closer.
"Because I made a promise to your mother."
A pause.
"And tonight, I am here to fulfill it."
She looked at Sebastian.
"Before he turns you into what he created."
Sebastian smiled.
"And what do you think Elena wanted?"
Isabella's eyes moved to me.
"The truth."
She reached into her coat.
And pulled out a small envelope.
Old.
Damaged.
My name written on it.
But this time...
the handwriting was my mother's.
My breathing stopped.
"Elena left this after she discovered the final secret."
I looked at the envelope.
"What final secret?"
Isabella stared at Sebastian.
Then whispered:
"The reason Aurelio was chosen."
Silence.
She handed me the letter.
I opened it.
Only one sentence was written.
My mother's final warning.
"Aurelio, if you ever meet Sebastian Mendoza, remember this..."
My hands shook.
I continued reading.
"He is not your creator."
I looked up.
Everyone froze.
May you like
Then I read the final words.
"He is the first person who tried to kill you."
