Alejandro Ríos staggered half a step backward, his hand catching the polished wooden banister as if his knees had suddenly hollowed out. The absolute control he normally projected—the aura of a man who dominated boardrooms and negotiated multi-million-dollar real estate acquisitions across northern Mexico—shattered instantly. / Chapter 4 / 19

Chapter 5 - Trapped in the Lion's Den"Why?" Alejandro hissed, stopping dead in his tracks, his fists clenched so hard his knuckles bled. "Lucía trusted you! I paid you a fortune!"

Teresa let out a low, mocking laugh. "Money is nice, Alejandro. But power is better. Lucía was weak. She stood in the way of everything I built in this house. And when she started getting suspicious of the slow-release toxins I mixed into her evening medication, I had to accelerate the timeline."

She shifted her gaze down to Mateo, her eyes flashing with a cruel, venomous delight. "And the boy? Oh, the boy was entirely too perceptive. Even at four years old, he saw me switch his mother's medicine bottle. So, I had to train him. Every night, while you were downstairs entertaining business partners, I whispered in his ear. I told him if he spoke a word, I would hurt his father. I broke his mind piece by piece, right under your oblivious nose."

Valeria’s heart hammered against her ribs. While Teresa was busy basking in her villainous monologue, Valeria’s eyes scanned the room. The heavy brass candlestick on the vanity. The thick velvet drapes. The heavy oak door behind Teresa.

She slowly slid her hand down her side, her fingers brushing against a heavy metal cleaning spray bottle tucked into her apron pocket.

"You think you've won," Valeria said calmly, her voice steady enough to draw Teresa's attention away from Alejandro for a crucial second.

Teresa sneered, leveling the gun toward Valeria. "And who are you? Just another disposable maid who won't survive the night. Did you really think playing hero would save you?"

"Maybe not," Valeria whispered.

With a sudden, explosive burst of movement, Valeria hurled the heavy metal spray bottle straight at Teresa’s face, while simultaneously shoving Mateo behind the heavy mahogany armoire.

Clang!

The bottle struck Teresa's shoulder, throwing her aim off just enough as she pulled the trigger.