Chapter 6 - The Daughter Inside the Enemy’s House
Alessandra had spent twenty years learning how Mateo thought.
That was why she knew exactly how to destroy him.
The photograph was bait.
But not for Ernesto.
For Mateo’s own men.
Alessandra wanted him to believe she had failed.
She wanted him confident.
Careless.
And while everyone focused on the hostage image, she had already copied his financial archive.
Valeria understood first.
“She doesn’t need rescuing.”
Sofia nodded.
“She needs time.”
Ernesto hated the idea.
Isabella insisted.
“For once, trust your daughter.”
Technically, Alessandra wasn’t his biological daughter.
Ernesto looked at Isabella.
“She’s yours.”
“Yes.”
“Then she’s mine if she wants to be.”
Isabella’s eyes softened.
The next morning, the families did something nobody expected.
Nothing.
Ernesto appeared publicly at breakfast.
Gabriel attended a charity meeting.
Valeria and Sofia returned to San Aurelio under heavy security.
Mateo’s watchers saw normal life.
Behind the scenes, Isabella contacted federal investigators.
Not corrupt local officers.
A task force that had been investigating Mateo’s network for seven years.
The evidence in the medallions provided what they had always lacked:
the connection between Mateo and his shell companies.
But the investigators wanted more.
They wanted Mateo himself.
At 11:42 p.m., Alessandra called.
Sofia answered.
“Hello?”
“Don’t say my name.”
Sofia’s heart jumped.
“Are you okay?”
“For now.”
“Where are you?”
“Moving.”
“What do you need?”
“Valeria.”
Valeria took the phone.
Alessandra gave her a bank number.
“Why me?”
“Because Gabriel won’t let Mateo kill you.”
Valeria frowned.
“What does that mean?”
“Your father has something Mateo needs.”
“What?”
“An account.”
Gabriel had secretly controlled a trust established during the original peace negotiations.
Nearly $180 million.
Mateo needed Gabriel’s biometric authorization to access it.
“That’s why he brought me into this?”
“Partly.”
Valeria felt sick.
Even her discovery had been manipulated.
Alessandra continued.
“Mateo has people inside both families.”
“Who?”
“I only know one.”
“Tell me.”
Before Alessandra could answer, the line went dead.
The next morning, Gabriel disappeared.
His car was found abandoned.
His driver was unconscious.
No Gabriel.
Lucia blamed Ernesto.
Ernesto blamed Mateo.
Valeria blamed everyone.
Then Gabriel called her.
“Dad?”
It was the first time she had called him that.
Both of them noticed.
“Valeria.”
His voice sounded strained.
“Where are you?”
“With Mateo.”
“Did he hurt you?”
“No.”
“What does he want?”
Gabriel paused.
“He wants you.”
Valeria went cold.
“Why?”
“Because the trust transfers automatically to my biological heir if I die.”
Everyone looked at Valeria.
Gabriel continued.
“Don’t come.”
Mateo’s voice replaced his.
“Touching.”
Valeria clenched her jaw.
“What do you want?”
“You already know.”
“The medallions.”
“And you.”
“No.”
“Then Gabriel dies.”
Valeria looked at Lucia.
Her mother shook her head desperately.
Mateo laughed.
“You have six hours.”
The call ended.
Valeria turned to the others.
“I’m going.”
“No,” Lucia said.
“Mom.”
The word escaped naturally.
Lucia began crying.
Valeria took her hands.
“I spent my whole life wondering where I came from. I finally found you. I’m not losing him now.”
Sofia stepped beside her.
“You’re not going alone.”
Neither was Ernesto.
Neither was Isabella.
The plan was dangerous.
Valeria would appear to surrender.
Sofia would carry the second medallion.
Investigators would track them from a distance.
But when they reached Mateo’s location—an abandoned shipyard—something went wrong.
There was nobody there.
Only Gabriel.
Tied to a chair.
Alive.
Valeria rushed toward him.
“Dad!”
“Stop!”
Too late.
The floor beneath Sofia collapsed.
She fell.
Ernesto lunged and caught her hand.
“Sofia!”
Below was darkness.
Ernesto struggled to hold her.
Valeria and Isabella helped pull her up.
Then speakers activated throughout the warehouse.
Mateo’s voice echoed.
“You still think this is about money.”
Ernesto looked around.
“Come out!”
“It was never about money.”
A screen illuminated.
Live video.
Mateo stood somewhere else.
Beside him was Alessandra.
This time, she really was restrained.
Marco lay unconscious nearby.
Mateo smiled.
“I wanted the three girls together because only they can prove what happened that night.”
Isabella stepped forward.
“Let her go.”
“Hello, Isabella.”
Her face hardened.
Mateo looked at Ernesto.
“You took everything from me.”
Ernesto laughed.
“You did that yourself.”
“No. Father chose you. Isabella chose you. The family chose you.”
“You murdered people.”
“So did you.”
Ernesto had no response.
Mateo smiled.
“That’s the difference between us, brother. I stopped pretending.”
Then he turned the camera.
Behind him stood dozens of men.
Some Vega.
Some Salazar.
Mateo had infiltrated both organizations.
“Tomorrow morning,” he said, “San Aurelio gets a new family.”
The screen went black.
Gabriel looked at Ernesto.
“He’s starting the war tonight.”
As if summoned by the words, Ernesto’s phone began ringing.
Then Gabriel’s.
Then Isabella’s.
Reports poured in.
A Vega warehouse had exploded.
A Salazar convoy had been attacked.
Each side believed the other responsible.
Within minutes, armed men were mobilizing throughout the city.
May you like
The twenty-year feud was starting again.
And this time, Mateo intended to make sure nobody survived it.
