Chapter 7 - The Mansion Where the Truth Was Buried
Ramon returned to the lake house.
His mother was waiting.
She seemed unsurprised.
“You found Lia.”
“Yes.”
“She remembers?”
“Yes.”
His mother closed her eyes.
“Then there is little time.”
“Where is Clara going?”
“To the old Ortega estate.”
Ramon frowned.
“My childhood home?”
“Yes.”
“But the bunker was there.”
“The bunker wasn't the destination.”
“What is?”
His mother walked to an old bookshelf.
She pulled down a photograph.
It showed Ramon as a child.
His father stood behind him.
His mother stood beside them.
And in the background was the ancient oak tree.
The same tree from the forest.
Ramon stared.
“The tree.”
His mother nodded.
“It was never just a place to hide people.”
“What was it?”
“The original meeting place.”
“For Black Thorn?”
“No.”
“For the people who fought it.”
Ramon understood.
His father had built a safe network.
Clara had corrupted it.
The ancient oak was the first safe house.
Under it was a chamber.
His father had hidden the original evidence there.
“And Clara knows.”
“Yes.”
“She'll go there.”
“She already has.”
Ramon gathered his men.
They drove through the night.
Lia sat beside Elena.
Ramon sat in front.
The closer they came to the forest, the thicker the fog became.
When they reached the clearing, the oak tree stood exactly as they had left it.
Only now there were lights beneath the branches.
Dozens of them.
Clara had arrived.
Ramon stepped out.
Clara emerged from beneath the tree.
She held the ledger.
Beside her stood several armed men.
And behind them—
Gabriel.
His father.
Alive.
Tied to a chair.
Ramon's eyes narrowed.
“You kidnapped him.”
Clara smiled.
“He came willingly.”
Gabriel shook his head.
“I was trying to protect you.”
Ramon stepped forward.
“You've been protecting everyone except me for twenty-two years.”
Gabriel looked at his son.
“I was wrong.”
Clara laughed.
“How touching.”
She opened the ledger.
“Everything ends tonight.”
Ramon looked at Lia.
She stepped forward.
Elena grabbed her hand.
“Stay with me.”
Lia nodded.
Clara looked at the child.
“Tell me the password.”
“No.”
“Tell me.”
“No.”
Clara raised her gun.
Ramon took one step forward.
“Enough.”
Clara fired.
Gabriel moved.
The bullet struck his shoulder.
Ramon lunged.
Gunfire erupted.
Men scattered.
The clearing became chaos.
Victor and Matteo returned fire.
Diego tackled one of Clara's men.
Ramon reached his father.
“Dad!”
Gabriel gasped.
“Under the tree.”
“What?”
“The chamber.”
Ramon looked down.
A metal plate was hidden beneath the roots.
He pulled it free.
Stairs descended.
Clara saw.
“No!”
She ran toward him.
Ramon blocked her.
“You're not going anywhere.”
She raised her weapon.
He knocked it away.
They fought.
Clara was stronger than she looked.
She struck him across the jaw.
Ramon stumbled.
She reached for the gun.
Lia screamed:
“Behind you!”
Ramon turned just in time.
He caught Clara's wrist.
Then he saw something in her face.
Not rage.
Fear.
She was afraid of what was below.
Ramon realized why.
The chamber wasn't just evidence.
It contained proof against her.
He dragged her toward the entrance.
She fought like an animal.
“No!”
He opened the chamber.
Inside were boxes.
Photographs.
Tapes.
Documents.
And one final object.
A small wooden box.
Ramon opened it.
Inside lay a letter.
From Gabriel.
Written twenty-two years earlier.
My son, if you are reading this, I failed to protect you from the truth.
Ramon's eyes burned.
He read on.
Your mother is not the only person I saved.
There is another child.
Ramon froze.
Another child.
He looked at Elena.
She looked terrified.
Then Gabriel spoke from behind him.
“That child is your sister.”
Ramon turned.
“What?”
His father whispered:
“Clara took her.”
Clara laughed.
A broken, bitter sound.
“She was never your sister.”
Ramon stared.
Clara's face hardened.
“Because she was mine.”
Silence.
The woman he'd spent the entire night fighting claimed to be his sister's mother.
Ramon looked at his father.
“Explain.”
Gabriel closed his eyes.
“Clara had a daughter.”
Clara smiled.
“Your father stole her.”
Ramon looked between them.
His world had become impossible again.
Then Lia spoke softly.
“She's lying.”
Everyone turned.
The child pointed toward Clara.
“You aren't afraid of the girl.”
Clara's face changed.
“You're afraid of the man who took her.”
Lia looked at Gabriel.
“Because Grandpa remembers where she is.”
Gabriel began crying.
“Ramon.”
May you like
“What?”
“Her name is Sofia.”
