Chapter 2 - The Son Alejandro Never MentionedDaniel stood beneath the hallway light.
He looked nothing like Elena had imagined.
He wasn't angry.
That was what frightened her most.
He looked tired.
As if he had spent years searching for answers and had finally reached the person responsible for every unanswered question.
Alejandro stared at him.
“You need to leave.”
Daniel smiled sadly.
“That’s what you told my mother.”
Elena's heart tightened.
“You knew my mother?”
Daniel looked at Victoria.
“No.”
He paused.
“I knew what happened to her.”
Victoria covered her mouth.
Rafael asked:
“Who are you really?”
Daniel reached into his jacket.
He pulled out a birth certificate.
Then a photograph.
Then another document.
He placed everything on the table.
Elena looked down.
The father's name was Alejandro Ruiz.
Her husband's name.
Her hands began shaking.
“No.”
Alejandro immediately said:
“Those documents are fake.”
Daniel looked at him.
“You can say that.”
“You don't have proof.”
“I have DNA evidence.”
Silence.
Daniel placed another envelope on the table.
“Would you like to see it?”
Alejandro didn't move.
Elena looked at Rafael.
Her father understood.
“Open it.”
She did.
Inside was a laboratory report.
The probability of biological paternity was overwhelming.
Elena felt her world collapse.
Alejandro had a son.
A grown son.
A son he had hidden from her.
But the question wasn't only why.
It was what happened to Mariana.
Elena looked at Daniel.
“What happened to your mother?”
Daniel's expression changed.
“She died eight months ago.”
Elena's breath caught.
“I'm sorry.”
“She spent years looking for your husband.”
“Why?”
“She wanted him to admit I was his son.”
“And he refused?”
Daniel nodded.
“He told her she was unstable.”
Elena looked at Alejandro.
He looked away.
Daniel continued.
“My mother had evidence.”
“What evidence?”
“Letters.”
“From Alejandro?”
“Yes.”
“Do you have them?”
Daniel shook his head.
“Not anymore.”
“Why?”
“My mother gave them to someone she trusted.”
“Who?”
Daniel looked at Victoria.
Victoria froze.
“You?”
Victoria's face turned white.
“I didn't know.”
Daniel's eyes hardened.
“You knew enough.”
“I was trying to help her.”
“You told her to stop contacting Alejandro.”
“Because he threatened her.”
Elena turned toward Alejandro.
“You threatened her?”
“I was protecting our family.”
“Our family?”
Her voice broke.
“She was carrying your child.”
Alejandro's expression hardened.
“She was manipulating me.”
Daniel laughed.
“My mother never wanted your money.”
“Then what did she want?”
Daniel answered:
“Recognition.”
Silence.
“She wanted you to admit I existed.”
Alejandro looked at him.
“You have no idea what she did.”
Daniel stepped closer.
“I know what you did.”
Rafael interrupted.
“Enough.”
He looked at Daniel.
“Why come here tonight?”
Daniel reached into his pocket.
“This.”
He showed them a small USB drive.
“My mother left it for me.”
“What is on it?”
“A video.”
Alejandro suddenly moved.
Daniel stepped back.
Rafael blocked him.
“Don't.”
Daniel smiled.
“That's exactly what my mother said you would do.”
He plugged the drive into Elena's laptop.
The screen lit up.
Mariana appeared.
She looked tired.
Older than Elena expected.
But her eyes were clear.
“If you're watching this, Alejandro knows.”
Elena felt cold.
Mariana continued.
“I tried to leave quietly.”
She paused.
“But I can't anymore.”
Then she said something that changed everything.
“Daniel is not your only secret.”
Alejandro's face went pale.
Mariana looked directly into the camera.
“There is another child.”
Elena stopped breathing.
Another child?
Daniel looked at Alejandro.
“You told me I was the only one.”
Alejandro whispered:
“Mariana was lying.”
The video continued.
“He has another son.”
Mariana gave a name.
“Mateo.”
Elena stared at Alejandro.
“How many children do you have?”
Alejandro said nothing.
Rafael turned toward him.
“Answer her.”
Alejandro looked trapped.
“I don't know where he is.”
Daniel stepped forward.
“You knew.”
“No.”
“You knew exactly where he was.”
Alejandro shook his head.
“I didn't.”
Daniel's eyes filled with anger.
“My mother found him.”
Elena whispered:
“Found who?”
“Mateo.”
Daniel pulled another photograph from his pocket.
A teenage boy stood beside Mariana.
On the back was written:
Mateo — 16 years old.
Elena looked at Alejandro.
“Who is he?”
Alejandro's lips parted.
But before he could answer, Victoria spoke.
“He was placed in a private boarding school.”
Rafael looked at her.
“By whom?”
Victoria stared at Alejandro.
“By him.”
Elena felt betrayed all over again.
“How could you?”
Alejandro shouted:
“You don't understand!”
“Then explain!”
“I was protecting you!”
“From what?”
Alejandro didn't answer.
Then Daniel's phone rang.
He looked at the screen.
His expression changed.
“What?”
He listened.
Then slowly lowered the phone.
“What happened?” Elena asked.
Daniel looked at her.
“Mateo is missing.”
Elena's blood ran cold.
“When?”
“Three hours ago.”
“Who took him?”
Daniel looked toward Alejandro.
“My mother believed someone would come for him.”
Alejandro whispered:
“No.”
Rafael asked:
“Who?”
Daniel answered:
“The same person who made Mariana disappear.”
The room fell silent.
Then Daniel received a message.
A photograph appeared on his phone.
It showed Mateo sitting in a dark room.
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Beneath the photograph were six words:
TELL ALEJANDRO TO REMEMBER WHAT HE DID.
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