CHAPTER 2: THE SECRET RECORDING THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING
“Grandma said she already got rid of one Santillán baby before… and she'll do it again if she has to.”
The words hung in the air like a death sentence.
Bruno couldn't move.
Camila's face had gone completely white.
“Renata…” Bruno said softly. “Who told you that?”
The little girl looked confused.
“Grandma did.”
“When?”
“She didn't know I was listening.”
A terrible feeling spread through Bruno's chest.
Camila slowly sat down in the chair beside the hospital bed. Her hands were shaking.
Eight years.
For eight years she had tried to forget that night.
The night she lost her first baby.
The night she had been pushed down the stairs outside her apartment building.
The police had called it an accident.
The doctors had called it a tragedy.
But deep inside, she had always felt something wasn't right.
And now…
Now she wasn't so sure anymore.
“Camila…” Bruno whispered.
She looked at him, tears forming in her eyes.
“You knew I was pregnant once before.”
He nodded.
“I remember.”
“We had already chosen a name.”
His throat tightened.
“Mateo.”
The name hit him like a knife.
They had been young then.
In love.
Planning a future together.
Then came the accident.
And everything fell apart.
“I lost our baby,” she whispered. “I lost everything.”
Bruno stared at her.
“Our baby?”
Camila suddenly realized what she had said.
Silence.
Then Bruno's eyes widened.
“Our baby?”
She closed her eyes.
Too late.
“You never knew…” she whispered.
“What do you mean?”
She looked at him.
“Mateo was your son.”
The world stopped.
Bruno felt his knees weaken.
“No…”
“Yes.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“I tried!”
Tears rolled down her cheeks.
“I called you for weeks. I went to your office. I sent letters. You disappeared.”
He stared at her in disbelief.
“I never got anything.”
She let out a bitter laugh.
“Exactly.”
The room became unbearably quiet.
For years, he had believed she had moved on.
For years, she had believed he had abandoned her after their child died.
And now both of them realized something horrifying.
Someone had kept them apart.
Someone had wanted them separated.
There was only one person with enough power to do that.
Doña Mercedes Santillán.
At that exact moment, Bruno's phone rang.
The screen flashed:
Mother.
He stared at it.
Then answered.
“Where are you?” Mercedes asked.
“At the hospital.”
“With that woman?”
Bruno's blood ran cold.
“How did you know she was here?”
Silence.
Then his mother's voice became sharp.
“Bring Renata home immediately.”
“Did you know Camila was pregnant?”
Another silence.
“Answer me!”
“You should stop asking questions, Bruno.”
His hands trembled.
“Did you keep her letters from me?”
“Some things are better left buried.”
“Mother…”
“Go home.”
“Did you know she was carrying my son?”
The line went silent.
Then came a chilling answer.
“Yes.”
Bruno felt his heart stop.
“What?”
“I knew.”
“You knew?”
“He would have ruined your future.”
Bruno couldn't breathe.
“Ruined… my future?”
“You were meant for bigger things.”
“You hid my child from me?”
“I protected this family.”
His voice cracked.
“You let me believe she abandoned me!”
“I did what any mother would do.”
For several seconds, Bruno couldn't speak.
Then he whispered:
“What happened to the accident?”
Silence.
A long, terrifying silence.
Then Mercedes spoke softly.
“Be careful what you ask.”
The call ended.
Bruno stood frozen.
Camila looked at him.
“What did she say?”
He slowly lowered the phone.
“She knew.”
Tears filled Camila's eyes.
“No…”
“She knew Mateo was my son.”
Her hand flew to her mouth.
“And she admitted hiding your letters.”
The room suddenly felt smaller.
Neither of them noticed that Renata was awake.
The little girl looked from one adult to the other.
“Daddy…”
Bruno turned.
“Did Grandma do something bad?”
He couldn't answer.
Then Renata remembered something.
“There was another thing.”
Both adults looked at her.
“A few days ago, Grandma was talking on the phone.”
“With who?” Bruno asked.
“I don't know.”
“What did she say?”
Renata frowned, trying to remember.
Then she repeated the words exactly.
“She said…”
The little girl swallowed.
“Make sure the doctor loses that baby before Bruno finds out.”
The room exploded into silence.
Camila instinctively placed both hands over her stomach.
Bruno's face turned ghostly white.
“No…”
Renata looked frightened.
“Daddy… did I say something wrong?”
Before anyone could answer—
CRASH!
The door of the hospital room suddenly opened.
A nurse rushed inside, breathing hard.
“Dr. Ríos!”
Camila stood up immediately.
“What happened?”
“Someone just entered the maternity wing asking for you.”
“Who?”
The nurse looked terrified.
“She said her name is Mercedes Santillán.”
Everyone froze.
Then the nurse whispered:
May you like
“And she has a pair of scissors in her hand.”
TO BE CONTINUED…
