Chapter 1 - The Voice from the Tape
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Elena sat on the ice-cold marble floor of the grand hall, her knuckles white as she cradled her newborn baby against her chest. Her silk dress was torn at the shoulder, and a hot, throbbing pain radiated across her cheekbone where the heavy gold ring on Alejandro’s hand had made contact.
Above her stood her husband, looming like a shadow against the crystal chandeliers. He straightened his designer cuffs, his handsome face twisted into a mask of pure, unadulterated contempt.
“Look at yourself, Elena,” Alejandro sneered, his voice barely a whisper so the guests in the distant ballroom wouldn’t hear. “You’re hysterical. A postpartum mess. Nobody is going to believe a single word that comes out of your mouth.”
In the background, Victoria, his mother, stood near the arched doorway, wringing her hands nervously. She glanced back toward the party guests, terrified that the polished facade of the Navarro family was about to crack.
Elena didn't scream. She didn't plead. Instead, she slowly lifted her left wrist.
On the face of her high-end smartwatch, a small red indicator was pulsing rhythmically.
“I don’t need them to believe me,” Elena whispered, her voice surprisingly steady despite the tremor in her hands.
Victoria’s face drained of all color as she took a hesitant step forward, her high heels clicking sharply against the stone.
“Elena… what did you just do?” Victoria stammered, her eyes wide with sudden panic. “Who did that watch just message?”
Elena looked directly into Alejandro’s cold eyes, feeling the faint heartbeat of little Nicolás pressed against her ribs.
“I sent it to the only person in this world you’re actually terrified of.”
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Alejandro opened his mouth to mock her, but before he could utter a word, three heavy, thunderous knocks rattled the massive oak doors of the mansion.
The sound echoed through the high ceilings like a death knell. Alejandro stopped breathing.
