Chapter 11 - The Family Lawyer
Valeria’s vicious, unhinged scream echoed terribly through the hall, causing several guests to physically step back in pure shock. Don Alejandro struck the marble floor violently with his heavy wooden cane, the sharp crack silencing the room instantly.
"Enough!" His absolute authority washed over the room like a massive tidal wave. "A young child just displayed more courage and integrity than every single adult standing in this room combined."
Valeria was breathing rapidly, her chest heaving in uncontrollable panic. She realized the trap was completely closing around her.
"Alejandro, please, you have to listen to me! There are complex things happening in this house that you do not understand!"
"Then I suggest you start explaining them immediately," the old man demanded fiercely.
Desperate, Valeria turned her venomous gaze back toward Lucía.
"That filthy maid was snooping where she didn't belong!"
Lucía blinked, completely taken aback by the sudden, bizarre shift in accusation.
"What?"
Valeria let out a high-pitched, nervous laugh.
"Don't stand there and play the innocent victim! I saw you in the small study this morning."
Lucía’s mind raced back to her early morning chores. She had been dusting the small, private study adjacent to the library. While cleaning under a heavy oak desk, she had found a thick, unmarked Manila folder lying discarded on the floor. Assuming it was simply trash, she picked it up. She vividly remembered seeing strange bank receipts, massive wire transfers, and foreign account names. She hadn't understood the complex financial jargon, but she distinctly recognized the official seal of the Alcázar Family Foundation.
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Valeria had walked into the study at that exact moment, her face turning pale with absolute panic, and aggressively snatched the folder from Lucía’s hands, demanding to know if she had read anything. Now, the terrifying puzzle pieces finally snapped perfectly together in Lucía's mind.
"You maliciously accused me of stealing," Lucía realized aloud, her voice steadying, "because you thought I saw those financial papers."
