Chapter 4 - Bloodlines and Betrayal
The mention of the hospital operating table struck Alejandro like a physical blow. He stumbled back a step, looking at Valeria with a mixture of shock and sudden dread.
"What do you mean... bled?" Alejandro whispered, his arrogance finally cracking open to reveal genuine confusion. "You... you had a routine C-section."
"Is that what Paola told you?" Valeria let out a soft, dark laugh that chilled everyone in the room. She turned her head toward Paola, whose hands were now trembling violently. "Tell him, Paola. Tell him what happened eleven days ago at the Santa Elena Clinic."
Alejandro turned to his mistress, his eyes narrowing. "Paola... what is she talking about?"
"She's lying!" Paola shrieked, backing away toward the corner of the room. "She's trying to manipulate you, Alejandro! She's trying to turn you against me so she can take your money!"
"Eleven days ago," Mr. Garza interrupted in a booming voice, "Mrs. Castañeda went into premature labor due to severe placental abruption. She lost nearly two liters of blood. When the hospital attempted to contact you, Mr. Castañeda, your phone was turned off. The emergency contact list on file had been altered three weeks prior by an IP address originating from Miss Paola’s executive office."
Alejandro’s breath caught in his throat. "What?"
"Miss Paola instructed the hospital administration that you were out of the country on confidential government business and were not to be disturbed under any circumstances," Garza continued, pulling out signed affidavits from the head nurse and duty physician. "She signed a refusal of emergency contact form using a forged power of attorney. If Valeria’s personal assistant hadn't paid off the head doctor to proceed with the emergency surgery without your legal authorization, both Valeria and your son would have died on that table."
Alejandro stared at Paola in utter horror. The luxury, the glamour, the intoxicating thrill of his affair vanished instantly, replaced by the horrifying realization of what he had allowed into his life.
"You... you told me she was resting at a private spa retreat in Valle de Bravo," Alejandro whispered to Paola, his voice shaking with pure rage. "You told me she didn't want to see me!"
"She was going to take everything from us, Alejandro!" Paola screamed, her polished mask completely shattered, tears running down her heavily contoured face. "You promised me we were going to build a new empire! You promised me we would get rid of her! I did what had to be done to protect our future!"
"Our future?!" Alejandro roared, stepping toward her. "You almost killed my son!"
"He's not your son!" Paola screamed back, the words flying out of her mouth before she could stop them.
The entire conference room went dead silent.
May you like
Even the baby, as if sensing the magnitude of the moment, let out a tiny, soft whimpering sound in his carrier before falling back asleep.
Alejandro stopped dead in his tracks. "What did you just say?"
