Chapter 4 - The Trap Closes
Victor’s security team moved before Emiliano finished speaking.
Two plainclothes officers intercepted the contractor near the service gate.
The confrontation lasted less than thirty seconds.
No shouting.
No gunfire.
No chaos inside the house.
From the surveillance room, Emiliano watched the man raise his hands while the black equipment case sat unopened on the pavement.
“What’s in it?” Emiliano asked.
Victor listened to the radio.
“Signal equipment.”
“For what?”
“Possibly cameras. Possibly interference.”
“Interference with what?”
Victor’s expression tightened.
“Our security system.”
Emiliano stared at the wall of monitors.
Someone wanted the cameras disabled.
Patricia believed he was in Europe.
Adrian Vale was flying into the city.
A contractor had arrived carrying technology capable of interfering with the mansion’s security.
None of that was coincidence.
“Bring him in.”
Victor shook his head.
“No.”
Emiliano turned.
“He could tell us—”
“If Patricia sees him inside, she knows.”
“Then question him outside.”
“That’s already happening.”
Victor looked at another monitor.
“We keep the house appearing normal.”
Emiliano hated waiting.
But waiting had become the only way to understand the size of the betrayal.
Twenty minutes later, Victor received a message.
The contractor had refused to answer questions.
But the equipment case told them enough.
It contained a sophisticated wireless jammer and a device capable of triggering temporary failures in sections of the estate’s alarm network.
Not enough to erase recordings already stored.
Enough to create blind spots.
“What were they planning?” Emiliano whispered.
Victor did not speculate.
Emiliano did.
If Patricia wanted money, she could have waited for marriage.
If Adrian wanted business information, Patricia already had access.
But if they wanted control over the girls—
He stopped the thought.
“Where are Daniela and Martina?”
Victor pointed.
Kitchen.
Rosa was helping them decorate cookies.
The sight steadied him.
Then Patricia entered.
She held her phone.
Her face looked tense.
“Rosa.”
Rosa turned.
“Yes?”
“Take the girls upstairs.”
Daniela’s smile disappeared.
“Why?”
Patricia looked at her.
“Because I said so.”
Rosa glanced toward the girls.
“They’re still baking.”
“I didn’t ask what they were doing.”
Rosa wiped her hands.
“Come on, girls.”
Patricia stopped her.
“Not you.”
Rosa froze.
“I said take them upstairs.”
“Yes.”
“Then come back.”
Martina immediately reached for Rosa.
Patricia noticed.
“Martina.”
The girl pulled her hand back.
Emiliano clenched his fist.
Rosa led the girls toward the stairs.
As they walked, Daniela whispered something.
The microphone picked it up.
“Is Dad really gone?”
Rosa looked down.
“Yes.”
Daniela did not look convinced.
“I wish he wasn’t.”
Emiliano closed his eyes.
Victor looked away.
On-screen, Rosa left the girls in the upstairs playroom.
Then she returned.
Patricia waited in the formal dining room.
A folder sat on the table.
Rosa entered.
“You wanted me?”
Patricia gestured toward the chair.
“Sit.”
Rosa remained standing.
“I’d rather stand.”
Patricia smiled.
“Suit yourself.”
She opened the folder.
Inside was a resignation document.
Emiliano leaned closer.
Patricia slid it across the table.
“You’re leaving today.”
Rosa stared.
“I’m not resigning.”
“You are.”
“No.”
Patricia’s face hardened.
“You don’t understand your position.”
“I understand perfectly.”
Rosa looked at the document.
“You want me gone before Mr. Duarte comes home.”
“He won’t be back for several days.”
“Then he can fire me when he returns.”
Patricia leaned back.
“He already agreed.”
Rosa’s expression changed.
Emiliano whispered, “No.”
Patricia continued.
“He asked me to handle it.”
Rosa looked down.
For the first time all day, she seemed defeated.
“You’re lying.”
“Am I?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because he would tell the girls.”
Patricia laughed.
“You really believe you know him.”
Rosa remained silent.
Patricia pushed a pen toward her.
“Sign.”
“No.”
Patricia’s eyes narrowed.
“You should think carefully.”
“I have.”
“About your future.”
“My future isn’t your responsibility.”
“Your brother’s is.”
Rosa went pale.
Emiliano looked sharply at Victor.
“Brother?”
Victor began searching records.
Patricia continued.
“Mateo Mendoza.”
Rosa’s breathing changed.
“Leave him out of this.”
“Twenty-six years old. Engineering student. Immigration status recently renewed.”
Rosa stared at her.
Patricia smiled.
“It would be unfortunate if complications appeared.”
Emiliano stood.
“That’s enough.”
Victor did not stop him this time.
But Rosa spoke before Emiliano reached the door.
“If I leave, you’ll hurt them.”
He stopped.
Patricia’s smile vanished.
“What?”
“The girls.”
Rosa’s voice shook.
“You don’t want me gone because of anything I did.”
“Sign the paper.”
“You want me gone because they tell me things.”
“Sign.”
“You’re afraid they’ll tell Mr. Duarte.”
Patricia slammed her palm onto the table.
“Sign it!”
Upstairs, Martina heard the shout.
The playroom camera showed her jump.
Daniela immediately took her hand.
Rosa looked toward the ceiling.
Toward the children.
Then she picked up the pen.
Emiliano’s heart sank.
But instead of signing, Rosa broke the pen in half.
Patricia stared.
Rosa placed it on the table.
“No.”
The word was quiet.
But powerful.
Patricia stood.
“You stupid woman.”
“You can threaten me.”
Rosa’s eyes filled with tears.
“You can threaten my job. My brother. My future.”
She stepped closer.
“But I will not leave those girls alone with you.”
For several seconds, Emiliano could not move.
He had spent his life believing courage looked like boardrooms, risk, money, power.
He was wrong.
Courage looked like a frightened housekeeper standing in a dining room with no idea that anyone was watching.
Patricia grabbed Rosa’s wrist.
Victor reached for his radio.
But before anyone moved, footsteps sounded from the foyer.
Patricia released her.
A man entered the mansion.
Emiliano’s blood went cold.
Adrian Vale.
He had arrived early.
Somehow, despite security surrounding the estate, he had entered through the main entrance using a temporary access credential.
Victor swore.
“How did he get authorization?”
Emiliano already knew.
Patricia.
Adrian walked into the dining room.
Rosa stared at him.
“You’re not supposed to be here,” Patricia hissed.
“We have a problem.”
Adrian looked at Rosa.
“Who is this?”
“The problem.”
Rosa slowly stepped backward.
Patricia moved between her and the exit.
Adrian’s gaze sharpened.
“What does she know?”
“Enough.”
Rosa’s fear was now obvious.
Emiliano reached the door.
Victor grabbed his arm.
“Thirty seconds.”
“Why?”
“My team is moving.”
“Victor—”
“If you enter alone and they’re armed—”
The sentence ended.
On-screen, Adrian reached inside his jacket.
Emiliano stopped breathing.
He removed a phone.
Not a weapon.
He placed it on the table.
“The contractor was intercepted.”
Patricia went pale.
“What?”
“Someone knew.”
Patricia looked around the room.
Toward the ceiling.
Toward the walls.
Toward the hidden cameras.
Emiliano felt the moment she understood.
Her eyes stopped on the tiny dark lens near the molding.
“No,” she whispered.
Adrian followed her gaze.
Then he lunged toward the camera.
The screen went black.
Another camera captured them leaving the dining room.
Patricia shouted, “Find the girls.”
Emiliano was already running.
He tore open the monitoring-room door and raced into the corridor.
Victor and three security officers followed.
Upstairs, Daniela heard footsteps approaching.
The playroom camera showed her locking the door.
Martina clutched her rabbit.
“Who is it?”
Daniela put one finger against her lips.
The doorknob moved.
Patricia’s voice came from outside.
“Daniela. Open the door.”
Neither girl answered.
“Open it.”
Martina began crying.
Daniela backed toward the window.
Then another voice came through the door.
A voice the girls had not expected to hear for days.
“Daniela?”
She froze.
Martina lifted her head.
“Dad?”
Emiliano stood in the hallway.
Patricia turned toward him.
For the first time since he had known her, she had no mask left.
Only shock.
Only fear.
Only the knowledge that everything was over.
Emiliano looked at the woman he had planned to marry.
Then at Adrian standing several feet behind her.
And finally at the locked door protecting his daughters.
“You wanted to know whether I trusted Rosa too much,” Emiliano said quietly.
Patricia said nothing.
His expression hardened.
“You should have worried about whether I trusted you at all.”
The playroom door opened.
Martina ran into his arms.
And behind him, Victor’s security officers stepped forward.
May you like
But before Patricia was taken away, she looked directly at Emiliano and said something that made every person in the hallway go silent.
“You still don’t know why Adrian chose you.”
