CHAPTER 9 – Rosa's Secret Promise
That evening, Emiliano returned home carrying Victor's final message.
He found Rosa sitting alone in the garden where Isabella used to read to the girls.
"You knew my uncle was involved."
Rosa slowly looked up.
Tears filled her eyes.
"I prayed you'd never have to ask me that."
She disappeared inside the house and returned with a weathered leather journal.
"This belonged to Isabella."
Emiliano carefully opened it.
Every page contained handwritten notes.
Names.
Dates.
Financial records.
Conversations.
She had been investigating corruption inside the Duarte family long before her death.
Near the end of the journal, one sentence was underlined twice.
"If anything happens to me, never let Eduardo raise my daughters."
Emiliano's hands trembled.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
Rosa answered through tears.
"Because Isabella made me promise."
"She believed you would only accept the truth when you discovered it yourself."
At that moment, Daniela quietly stepped into the room.
She had overheard everything.
"Dad..."
Emiliano immediately closed the journal.
"I'm sorry you had to hear this."
The twelve-year-old girl slowly walked toward him.
"You don't have to protect us from the truth anymore."
She hugged him tightly.
"We just don't want to lose you too."
Before Emiliano could answer, every light in the mansion suddenly went out.
Darkness swallowed the house.
The backup generators failed.
Security radios erupted with frantic voices.
"Sir!"
"We've lost every camera!"
"The front gate has been breached!"
Outside...
A convoy of black SUVs rolled silently toward the mansion.
Inside the lead vehicle sat one elderly man wearing an immaculate gray suit.
Eduardo Duarte.
He looked through the windshield at the home that had once belonged to his brother.
Then he smiled.
May you like
"It's time to finish what should have been finished five years ago."
TO BE CONTINUED...
