Chapter 13 - THE FAMILY THAT WAS NEVER INNOCENTValeria stared at Adrian's mother.
"My father?"
The woman nodded.
"Your father worked for my husband."
Valeria felt dizzy.
"Doing what?"
"Investigating the theft."
"Then why would he help hide evidence?"
"He didn't."
The older woman looked toward Rodrigo's father.
"He was framed."
Rodrigo's father looked down.
Adrian turned toward him.
"You knew Valeria's father?"
The older man nodded.
"He was my closest friend."
Valeria's voice cracked.
"Then why did my family never tell me?"
"Because he died before you were old enough to understand."
She remembered.
Her father had died when she was eight.
Everyone had called it an accident.
A car crash.
A rainy night.
A tragic mistake.
But now…
She looked at Adrian's mother.
"Was it an accident?"
The woman said nothing.
That was answer enough.
Valeria took a step backward.
"No."
Adrian moved toward her.
"Valeria."
She raised her hand.
"Don't."
Her voice trembled.
"All my life, I thought my father died in an accident."
Adrian's mother whispered:
"He was murdered."
Valeria's knees weakened.
Rodrigo caught her.
"Valeria."
She pushed him away.
"Why didn't anyone tell me?"
No one answered.
Because the truth had been buried to protect powerful people.
And the people who suffered were always the ones who were never allowed to know.
Adrian looked at his mother.
"Who killed her father?"
His mother looked at Rodrigo's father.
The old man closed his eyes.
Then whispered:
"Your uncle."
Valeria stared at him.
The room went silent.
Her father.
Adrian's father.
The same man.
The same night.
The same conspiracy.
Two families had been destroyed by one man.
And for twenty years, they had blamed the wrong people.
Then Adrian's mother added:
"But your uncle is not dead."
Adrian's face changed.
"What?"
"He has been watching you."
"Where is he?"
She looked toward the door.
"At the wedding."
A scream echoed from upstairs.
Everyone froze.
Then Rodrigo shouted:
May you like
"Camila!"
They ran.
Related Stories
