Chapter 5 - The Forbidden Wing
Valeria carefully folded the chilling drawing and slipped it deep into the pocket of her uniform. She knew she couldn't simply take it to Alejandro. The cartel boss was deeply paranoid; if she accused one of his inner circle without concrete proof, she would likely be killed, and Mateo would be left entirely defenseless.
Later that afternoon, while Mateo took a nap with his small hand tightly gripping her apron strings, Doña Socorro entered the room to collect the laundry.
“Doña Socorro,” Valeria whispered, gently untangling herself from the sleeping boy. She pulled the elderly woman into the adjoining bathroom and shut the door securely. “I need to ask you a question. A dangerous one.”
The housekeeper’s face instantly hardened. “I told you to keep your head down, Valeria. Do not involve yourself in the ghosts of this family.”
“Mateo’s mother,” Valeria pressed, ignoring the warning. “What actually happened the day she died?”
“Everyone knows what happened,” Socorro hissed quietly. “Her armored SUV was ambushed on the highway by the rival cartel. They shot her. The boy was in the backseat and survived by a miracle. End of story.”
“No, it isn't,” Valeria insisted, her eyes flashing with determination. “Mateo is terrified of the dark hallways in this house, not cars. He draws a man with a scarred hand. Who in this cartel has a scar on their right hand?”
Socorro’s eyes widened in sheer, unadulterated panic. She grabbed Valeria’s arm with surprising strength.
“You stop this right now,” the old woman warned, her voice shaking violently. “Do not ever mention that scar again. If you want to know the truth, go to the north wing. The late Madam’s private study is locked there. Alejandro hasn't opened it in two years. But if you get caught, I know nothing.”
May you like
Socorro released her and practically ran out of the room.
Valeria took a deep, steadying breath. She looked through the cracked bathroom door at the peacefully sleeping child. He had witnessed something horrifying, something that the official cartel narrative had completely covered up. And if Valeria was going to protect him, she had to break into the dead woman's forbidden sanctuary.
