Valeria's husband lifted the bedsheet to prove she was "just faking it," but when he saw the bruises all over her body from her ankles to her thighs, his face turned pale and she squeezed his wrist tightly.

Chapter 5: Six Words of Doom

"Who did this to you?" Sebastián’s voice was a hoarse whisper, trembling with a sudden, suffocating realization.

Valeria didn't hesitate. She stared straight at the door. "Your mother. Your cousin. And the doctor they bought."

Rebeca, maintaining her flawless composure, stood up with a radiant, patronizing smile.

"Has her little theatrical show fully convinced you, Sebastián?" Rebeca asked smoothly. But as she stepped closer, her smile vanished the moment she saw the exposed, brutalized legs of her daughter-in-law.

"Mother," Sebastián stammered, stepping back. "Tell me this isn't what it looks like."

Rebeca didn't even flinch at the sight of the injuries. "This is exactly what is necessary to protect this family. She is a danger to herself."

Octavio, unfazed, pulled out a pen and pushed the leather folder toward Sebastián. "Sign the receipt acknowledgment. Once she delivers, we will take care of the rest. It's for the best."

While they argued, Valeria slowly slid her hand under her pillow. Her fingers brushed against a small, tactile remote control. She pressed the button, activating the automatic cloud-backup protocol for all the recordings in the room.

Seconds later, a sharp buzz cut through the tension. Octavio’s cellphone vibrated violently in his pocket.

He pulled it out, read the notification on his screen, and instantly turned as pale as a corpse.

Rebeca, sensing the sudden shift in the room's power dynamic, snatched the phone from his hands. She looked at the illuminated screen.