Chapter 4 - The Woman Behind the Curtain
At The Pines, Teresa paced across the marble floor.
Javier stood near the windows.
Mariana sat on the sofa.
The manager had already explained that their ownership structure was not what they believed.
Teresa refused to accept it.
“This is impossible.”
Javier looked at the documents.
“Mother…”
“Don't.”
“But these signatures are real.”
“I said don't.”
Mariana slowly stood.
“Maybe Sofia did something.”
Teresa turned toward her.
“What?”
“Maybe she changed the ownership.”
Javier shook his head.
“She couldn't.”
“Why not?”
“Because she never had access.”
The manager cleared his throat.
“She did.”
Everyone looked at him.
Javier stepped closer.
“How?”
“She was listed as a beneficiary.”
Teresa's face drained of color.
“For how long?”
“Since she was nineteen.”
Mariana stared at her mother.
“You knew?”
Teresa said nothing.
Javier's voice became louder.
“You knew?”
Teresa finally turned.
“I knew there were old family documents.”
“You knew Sofia had them?”
“I didn't know what she had.”
“That isn't the same thing.”
Teresa looked at her son.
“You were supposed to marry into this family and stabilize the merger.”
Javier stared.
“So this was always about money.”
Teresa didn't answer.
Mariana suddenly laughed.
Everyone looked at her.
“You know what's funny?”
“What?”
“Sofia wasn't even angry.”
Javier remembered the bus station.
The calm look on Sofia's face.
The question.
Are you all sure about this?
He suddenly understood.
She had known.
She had known they were making a mistake.
He reached for his phone.
“I'm calling her.”
Teresa grabbed his wrist.
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because if she has those documents, we need to know what else she has.”
Javier pulled away.
“You're afraid of her.”
Teresa stared at him.
“Yes.”
The admission stunned everyone.
Then the front doors opened.
Elena entered.
Behind her were four security officers.
She looked at Teresa.
“You should have been afraid before tonight.”
Teresa lifted her chin.
“This is my house.”
Elena smiled faintly.
“No.”
May you like
She walked toward the staircase.
“It was never yours.”
