Chapter 10 - THE ASHES OF NARVARTEHook: The Fire That Purified the PastThree days later, the Narvarte apartment was completely empty.
The furniture had been seized by the court, the walls had been stripped for forensic evidence, and the front door had been boarded up with thick sheets of plywood.
Renata stood alone in the center of the vacant living room, holding a small silver lighter in her hand. On the floor before her sat a pile of old documents, bank statements, photographs, and the remnants of Elvira’s malicious legacy.
She flicked the wheel. A bright orange flame leaped into the air, casting long, dancing shadows against the bare concrete walls.
She dropped the lighter onto the pile.
The paper caught instantly, roaring with bright, fierce heat as the smoke drifted up toward the ceiling, escaping through the open window into the cool Mexico City night air.
Renata watched the flames consume the past, feeling a profound, weightless sense of liberation wash over her. Her throat didn't burn. Her chest didn't ache. She was breathing deeply, fully, and freely for the first time in her life.
Footsteps echoed behind her on the bare parquet floor.
Lucía walked in, holding a pair of plane tickets and two cardboard cups of hot coffee. She handed one to Renata, looking down at the burning pile with a slight smirk.
"Is the housecleaning finished, counselor?" Lucía asked.
Renata took a sip of the coffee, looking out the window toward the glittering skyline of the city.
"Completely finished," Renata replied softly.
"Where to first?" Lucía asked, waving the airline tickets in the air. "Paris? London? New York?"
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Renata smiled, turning away from the dying fire and walking toward the open door, leaving the ashes of her old life behind forever.
"No," Renata said, her voice filled with quiet strength. "We're going home to Puebla. It's time to build something new."
