CHAPTER 4: SHE CAME BACK FOR THE BOY… BUT HIS LAST MEMORY CHANGED EVERYTHING
The lights went out.
Darkness swallowed Elena's study.
No one moved.
Then—
Creeeak…
A door opened somewhere in the house.
Diego's entire body stiffened.
His breathing became shallow.
“She… she's here,” he whispered.
Doña Meche immediately pulled him into her arms.
“It's okay, my child. The police are here.”
But Diego was shaking so violently that she could feel his heart pounding against her chest.
Detective Salazar drew his flashlight and signaled the officers.
“Everyone stay together.”
Two officers rushed toward the hallway.
Another stood in front of Diego and Adrián.
The mansion suddenly felt enormous.
Every shadow looked dangerous.
Every sound seemed alive.
Then—
Tap.
A footstep.
Upstairs.
Everyone froze.
Another step.
Tap… tap…
Someone was walking slowly through the second floor.
Adrián felt his blood turn cold.
“Claudia?” he called.
No answer.
The footsteps stopped.
Then came a voice.
A woman's voice.
Soft.
Almost a whisper.
“Diego…”
The boy screamed.
“It's her!”
The officers ran upstairs.
Doors opened.
Drawers were searched.
But the second floor was empty.
No one.
Nothing.
Then one of the officers shouted.
“Detective! Come here!”
They all rushed into Diego's bedroom.
The window was open.
Rainwater had soaked the floor.
And on the bed lay something that hadn't been there before.
A photograph.
Detective Salazar picked it up.
His face changed.
“What is it?” Adrián asked.
The detective turned the picture around.
Adrián nearly collapsed.
It was an old photograph of Elena.
But someone had drawn a red X over her face.
And on the back were six handwritten words.
You should have stayed silent too.
Silence filled the room.
Doña Meche held Diego tighter.
“She was here…”
The detective looked out the window.
“She couldn't have gone far.”
Then he turned to the officers.
“Search the grounds!”
Police rushed outside.
Flashlights swept across the garden.
The garage.
The trees.
Nothing.
She had vanished.
Again.
TWO HOURS LATER
No one could sleep.
The police remained in the house.
Diego sat in the kitchen, staring at the photograph.
Suddenly his eyes narrowed.
He touched the corner of the picture.
Then his face changed.
“I remember…”
Doña Meche looked up.
“What is it?”
“This photo…”
He swallowed hard.
“I've seen it before.”
“When?”
“The night Mom died.”
Everyone froze.
Detective Salazar sat beside him.
“Take your time.”
Diego closed his eyes.
Memories came back in pieces.
A storm.
His mother crying.
A woman shouting.
The sound of broken glass.
Then—
A camera flash.
His eyes opened.
“There was another person.”
Silence.
“What?” Adrián whispered.
“There was someone taking pictures.”
Detective Salazar leaned forward.
“Are you sure?”
Diego nodded slowly.
“Yes.”
“A man.”
Adrián frowned.
“What man?”
“I don't know…”
The boy pressed his fingers against his forehead.
Then suddenly—
“I remember his watch.”
Everyone stared at him.
“It had a golden eagle on it.”
Detective Salazar's expression changed.
“A golden eagle?”
“Yes.”
The detective stood up.
“What is it?” Adrián asked.
But Salazar didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he removed an old photograph from his wallet.
He showed it to Diego.
“Was it this man?”
The boy's eyes widened.
“Yes!”
The room went silent.
Adrián looked at the photo.
Then his face turned white.
“That's impossible…”
The man in the picture was Ricardo Fuentes.
Adrián's former business partner.
A man who had supposedly died two years earlier in a boating accident.
“No…” Adrián whispered.
“He's dead.”
Detective Salazar slowly shook his head.
“That's what everyone believed.”
“What are you talking about?”
The detective took a deep breath.
“Ricardo's body was never found.”
Silence.
“You mean…”
“He may still be alive.”
A cold shiver passed through the room.
Then the detective said something even worse.
“Three years ago, Ricardo was under investigation for embezzlement.”
Adrián stared at him.
“What does that have to do with Elena?”
The detective looked directly at him.
“Your wife was the one who reported him.”
The room exploded.
“What?”
“She discovered millions of pesos missing from your company.”
Adrián couldn't breathe.
“Elena planned to give the evidence to the police.”
Doña Meche covered her mouth.
“Oh, my God…”
The detective nodded.
“We believe the affair between you and Claudia wasn't the real reason Elena died.”
Silence.
“It may have been about money.”
At that moment—
BEEP.
Everyone looked toward the kitchen counter.
A cellphone was vibrating.
It wasn't anyone's phone.
The police officer picked it up.
There was no contact name.
Only one message.
The detective opened it.
And went pale.
“What is it?” Adrián asked.
Slowly, Salazar turned the screen toward him.
The message read:
ASK THE BOY WHERE THE USB IS.
Silence.
Then Diego whispered:
“The USB…”
Everyone looked at him.
His face had gone white.
“Mom gave me something that night.”
“What?” Adrián asked.
“She said I had to hide it…”
“Hide what?”
The boy looked up.
Tears filled his eyes.
“A little black USB.”
The detective's heart nearly stopped.
“Do you know where it is?”
Diego nodded slowly.
“Yes.”
“Where?”
The boy looked toward the second floor.
Toward his bedroom.
Then he whispered:
“I hid it inside my teddy bear.”
At that exact moment—
A loud crash came from upstairs.
Everyone jumped.
Another crash.
Then the sound of footsteps.
Someone was running.
Detective Salazar pulled out his gun.
Because there was only one reason someone would break into the house now.
They were looking for the USB.
And whoever had entered the mansion…
May you like
was willing to kill for it.
TO BE CONTINUED…
CHAPTER 5: The Hidden USB Contains a Video That Exposes the Real Mastermind Behind Elena's Death… and He Has Been Watching Diego This Entire Time.
