Chapter 7 - THE FIRE BELOW

Smoke thickened quickly.

Alejandro wrapped his jacket around his hand and slammed his shoulder against the door.

Nothing.

Marcela coughed.

"Alejandro."

"Help me."

They rammed it together.

The old frame groaned.

Still locked.

Then a sound came from outside.

Banging.

Someone shouted.

"Señor Alejandro."

Tomás.

Alejandro froze.

The lock broke.

The door flew open.

Tomás stood there holding a fire extinguisher.

Behind him, flames crawled across a rug in the hallway.

He sprayed them down.

"Move."

They rushed upstairs.

Security guards appeared.

Alejandro stared at them.

"Where is my mother?"

No one answered.

The head of security finally spoke.

"Doña Esther left fifteen minutes ago."

"With whom?"

"Dr. Serrano."

Alejandro's blood ran cold.

"Where is Valeria?"

Teresa appeared at the top of the stairs.

Her face was terrified.

"Her room."

Alejandro ran.

Valeria was gone.

The bed was empty.

The window stood open.

A glass lay shattered near the nightstand.

His heart stopped.

"Valeria."

He ran to the bathroom.

Nothing.

Then Berta, one of the younger maids, screamed from the service hall.

Alejandro rushed toward her.

Valeria was sitting on the floor near the service stairs.

One hand clutched her belly.

Teresa knelt beside her.

"Call an ambulance."

Valeria looked up.

"Your mother came for me."

Alejandro dropped beside her.

"What happened?"

"She said you wanted me moved."

"She brought Serrano."

Alejandro looked around.

"Where are they?"

"Tomás scared them off."

Tomás stood in the doorway.

Alejandro looked at him.

"Who are you?"

The older man took a slow breath.

"I was your father's driver."

"I was also the last person he trusted."

Alejandro stood.

"Why did you disappear?"

"Your mother paid me to leave."

"And you took the money?"

"No."

Tomás looked at Valeria.

"I left because she threatened my daughter."

Alejandro said nothing.

Tomás continued.

"Your father asked me to keep one thing safe."

He looked at the key in Alejandro's hand.

"I see you finally found it."

"What does 317 open?"

"A deposit box."

"Where?"

Tomás's eyes hardened.

"At a bank your mother doesn't know about."

"What is inside?"

"The original ledger."

Alejandro stared at him.

May you like

"The vanilla buttercream hit the hardwood floor with a sickening, heavy...

"The vanilla buttercream hit the hardwood floor with a sickening, heavy thud. I didn’t even register the sound of the custom glass...

"The perfect wife was about to commit the unthinkable. Then the front do...

"""""""The perfect wife was about to commit the unthinkable. Then the front door opened.""""The heavy bronze candlestick was raise...

"When my husband shoved me into the freezing pool in front of his entire...

"When my husband shoved me into the freezing pool in front of his entire family, I thought the cold water would be the worst part....

Tomás lowered his voice.

"And a recording your father made the night before he died."