Chapter 3 - The Gathering Storm
The atmosphere in the house grew increasingly suffocating as the week progressed. Daniel was completely consumed by a massive, high-stakes architectural project in the city. He was leaving before dawn and returning long after the sun had set, exhausted and distracted. This left Rebeca as the absolute sovereign of the estate during the daylight hours, and she wielded her temporary power with a cruel, quiet tyranny.
She dismissed the long-time housekeeper, claiming the woman was stealing, though Mateo knew it was just to remove the last adult witness in the house. She restricted the children's access to the main living areas, confining them to the upstairs playroom and their bedrooms. "Children should be neither seen nor heard when adults are managing a household," she would snap, her wine-colored robe swishing as she locked the doors to the library and the sunroom.
Sofía, who was only five, didn't understand the sudden shift. She missed her father, and she missed the warm, comforting presence of the housekeeper. One afternoon, while coloring at the small table in the nursery, Sofía accidentally dropped a bright red crayon. It rolled across the floor and out into the hallway, coming to a stop directly against the baseboard.
Sofía crawled out into the hall to retrieve it, completely unaware that Rebeca was walking up the stairs. Rebeca’s high heels clicked sharply against the hardwood. When she saw Sofía in the hallway, her face contorted into a mask of absolute disgust.
"What are you doing crawling on the floor like an animal?" Rebeca demanded, her voice sharp enough to cut glass.
Sofía froze, her lower lip trembling. She picked up the red crayon, holding it tightly in her small fist. "I dropped my color," she whispered softly.
Rebeca stepped closer, looming over the small child like a bird of prey. She snatched the crayon from Sofía's hand with such force that it snapped in two. She threw the broken pieces into a nearby trash bin.
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"You are a clumsy, filthy little girl," Rebeca hissed, leaning down until she was inches from Sofía's terrified face. "You ruin everything you touch. Just like your mother."
Mateo, who had been watching from the doorway of the nursery, felt a surge of hot, blinding anger. He stepped out into the hallway, placing himself firmly between Rebeca and his sister. He didn't say a word, but his dark eyes glared at the woman, promising a fight she wasn't prepared for. Rebeca sneered, turning on her heel and walking away, leaving the storm brewing in her wake.
