Chapter 2 — The House That Doesn’t Belong to Love
Chapter 2 — The House That Doesn’t Belong to Love
Silence stretched after Victoria’s words.
Elena lowered her gaze.
Not because she was guilty.
Because she was waiting for permission to speak in her own life.
Alejandro noticed that too late.
Ricardo walked into the room casually, like nothing was wrong, picking up a glass from the table.
“You’re making this dramatic,” he said. “She’s always like this when you’re away. Emotional. You know how women—”
“Stop talking,” Alejandro interrupted.
Not loud.
Final.
Ricardo paused.
That was new.
Victoria sighed as if tired of children arguing.
“Alejandro, you’ve been gone for months. Elena struggled managing the household. I stepped in to help.”
Elena finally spoke.
Her voice was small—but clear.
“You took my phone.”
A pause.
Victoria turned slightly.
“I did what was necessary to reduce your stress.”
Alejandro looked at Elena.
“What?”
Elena swallowed hard.
“She said I was upsetting you. That I might interfere with your mission. That if something happened to you, it would be my fault.”
Alejandro felt something shift inside him.
“That’s absurd.”
Ricardo chuckled.
“You really believe she would sabotage you? Come on.”
But Elena didn’t stop.
“She isolated me. Controlled the accounts. Told me I wasn’t allowed to contact you unless she approved it.”
Victoria folded her arms.
“You’re forgetting you agreed.”
Elena shook her head violently.
“I signed because you told me we would lose the house if I didn’t!”
Alejandro turned sharply.
“What house?”
Ricardo answered too quickly.
“Dad’s debts. Old financial issues. She panicked.”
Alejandro stared at him.
“I spoke to Dad’s lawyer before deployment. There were no debts.”
A crack appeared.
Very small.
But real.
Victoria stepped forward.
“You’re being manipulated.”
Elena laughed once—broken.
“That’s rich.”
The word hung in the air.
Alejandro looked between them.
Three versions of reality.
Only one could be true.
But none of them looked like truth.
Then Elena did something unexpected.
She walked to the nightstand.
Opened the drawer.
And pulled out a small cloth pouch.
Inside:
A memory card.
A key.
And a folded receipt.
“My father didn’t die with everything settled,” she said quietly. “He left something for you.”
Alejandro froze.
“My father?”
Victoria’s expression changed for the first time.
A micro-second.
May you like
But Elena saw it.
And so did Alejandro.
