Chapter 10 - THE TRAP AT CASA ALCÁZAR
Casa Alcázar stood on a hill above San Pedro.
The mansion was surrounded by stone walls, iron gates, and private guards.
Sebastián had grown up there.
That night, it felt like enemy territory.
Mateo’s agents could not enter without a warrant covering the financial records.
Sebastián did not need one.
His name remained on the property deed.
He drove through the front gate with Mariana beside him.
The guards allowed him inside.
Mateo waited two blocks away.
The mansion smelled of smoke.
Not enough to trigger an alarm.
Enough to confirm Mariana’s warning.
Sebastián found Rebeca in Alejandro’s old office.
A fire burned in the stone fireplace.
Stacks of documents lay beside her.
She dropped another file into the flames.
“You came home,” she said.
“I came for the trust.”
Rebeca smiled.
“You finally sound like an Alcázar.”
“Where is Octavio?”
“Fixing the disaster your wife created.”
“My wife discovered your disaster.”
Rebeca stood.
“Valeria entered this family with nothing.”
“She would have taken everything.”
“The company belongs to Lucía.”
“The company belongs to the people strong enough to protect it.”
Sebastián looked at the burning documents.
“Is that what you call this?”
“Protection?”
Rebeca’s expression hardened.
“I spent forty years building what your father nearly gave away because he became sentimental.”
“He gave it to his granddaughter.”
“He gave it to a woman who would control her.”
Sebastián took one step closer.
“You tried to send Valeria out of the country.”
“I tried to prevent a scandal.”
“You drugged her.”
“I calmed her.”
“You had her restrained.”
“She forced us.”
The words came without hesitation.
Rebeca believed every excuse she spoke.
Sebastián finally understood why Valeria had never been able to reason with her.
Rebeca did not see people.
She saw obstacles.
A movement reflected in the window.
Octavio stood behind Sebastián holding a heavy bronze object.
Mariana shouted.
Sebastián turned as Octavio swung.
He moved aside.
The object struck the desk.
Mariana pulled the fire alarm.
Sprinklers activated across the room.
Water poured over the flames.
Ink spread across the half-burned documents.
Mateo’s agents entered through the front doors.
Octavio ran toward the service hallway.
Sebastián did not follow him.
He ran upstairs to the nursery.
The music box sat on a white shelf.
He opened it.
A lullaby began playing.
Beneath the velvet lining, he found the original trust.
May you like
And a sealed letter addressed to him in his father’s handwriting.
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