Chapter 25 - The War Room
The mansion was immediately transformed into a military command center.
Dozens of private mercenaries, cyber-experts, and tactical analysts flooded the living room.
Diego refused to involve the local police.
Paulina had spies everywhere, and standard law enforcement was too slow for a hostage situation this critical.
Valentina sat at the dining table, staring blankly at the wall.
She was holding the silver necklace her mother had given her for her sixteenth birthday.
Diego walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"We are going to find her, princesa," Diego promised fiercely.
"It's my fault," Valentina cried softly. "I distracted the security team at the café. Julian played me perfectly."
"No," Diego said firmly, kneeling beside her. "Do not ever blame yourself. This is Paulina’s evil. Nobody else’s."
Marcus walked briskly into the room, holding a tablet.
"Mr. Villaseñor, we traced the tranquilizer darts used on our guards," Marcus reported. "They are highly specialized, military-grade narcotics. Only a few black-market dealers in the city have access to them."
"Find the dealer," Diego commanded. "Torture him if you have to. I want a location."
"Sir, we also have a problem with Julian," Marcus added nervously.
"What problem?"
"He escaped the warehouse," Marcus said, looking down. "He had a concealed lock-pick in his belt. He knocked out the single guard we left watching him and vanished."
Diego’s rage boiled over.
He grabbed a crystal glass from the table and hurled it against the wall, shattering it into a million pieces.
"Find him!" Diego roared. "Find both of them!"
Meanwhile, across the city, in a damp, abandoned industrial factory...
Marisol was tied to a heavy metal chair.
Her hands were bound tightly behind her back, and her face was bruised from the struggle.
She slowly opened her eyes, the effects of the tranquilizer wearing off.
Standing in front of her, smoking a long, thin cigarette, was Paulina Vargas.
She looked older, her face hardened by years of bitterness and hatred.
"Good morning, Cinderella," Paulina smiled cruelly. "Did you really think your fairy tale was going to last forever?"
Marisol glared at her.
She was not the terrified maid she used to be.
She was Diego Villaseñor’s wife.
"Diego will kill you," Marisol said, her voice completely steady.
May you like
Paulina laughed, blowing a cloud of gray smoke into Marisol’s face.
"Diego is currently signing over his entire empire to me to save your pathetic life," Paulina sneered. "He is weak. Love makes him weak. I am just correcting a mistake I should have fixed ten years ago."
