chapter 4
The screen went black.
No one moved.
No one breathed.
The final words of the dead security guard echoed through the conference room.
"It's not just one person. It's two."
All eyes slowly turned toward Diego.
Even Mariana looked at him as if she had never seen him before.
A minute ago, she thought she knew exactly who her husband was.
Now she wasn't so sure.
The police commander broke the silence.
"Continue the video."
The technician shook his head.
"It's corrupted. The file ends there."
"Can it be recovered?"
"Maybe. But not tonight."
An uncomfortable silence settled over the room.
Then Héctor smiled.
A cold, victorious smile.
"How unfortunate," he said. "A dead man makes accusations, and suddenly everyone becomes a suspect."
The commander narrowed her eyes.
"You don't seem very upset that your employee is dead."
Héctor shrugged.
"I've learned that emotions solve nothing."
Mariana felt a chill.
The man didn't look scared.
He looked… relieved.
As if the missing part of the video had saved him.
Then Pamela suddenly spoke.
"It has to be Diego."
Everyone looked at her.
She pointed directly at him.
"He controlled the accounts! He knew every transfer! He had access to everything!"
"Pamela," Diego said quietly, "be careful."
"No!" she shouted. "Why should I protect you? You're letting everyone think it's me and Mr. Héctor!"
Her voice trembled.
She was terrified.
People only panic like that when they know something.
Mariana noticed.
So did the police commander.
"Interesting," the commander said. "I didn't mention your name."
Pamela froze.
The room became silent.
The officer stepped closer.
"Why are you so nervous, Ms. Solís?"
"I… I'm not."
"You've been shaking for the last ten minutes."
Pamela's face turned pale.
Héctor suddenly intervened.
"My assistant is under a lot of pressure."
The commander's eyes moved between them.
She was beginning to understand.
Then Mariana spoke for the first time.
"Where were you when the lights went out?"
Everyone looked at her.
She was staring at Pamela.
"I… I was here."
"No."
Mariana took a step forward.
"You weren't."
Pamela swallowed.
"When the lights went out, you disappeared for nearly thirty seconds."
"That's a lie."
"Is it?"
Mariana's voice remained calm.
"I noticed because your perfume was gone."
Pamela looked stunned.
"You wear jasmine perfume. It's very strong."
The room remained silent.
"When the lights went out, I couldn't smell it anymore."
Pamela's hands began trembling.
"So where did you go?"
"I…"
She couldn't answer.
The commander stepped forward.
"Search her."
"What?" Pamela gasped.
A female officer approached.
"Please empty your pockets."
Pamela hesitated.
"Now."
Slowly, she pulled out her phone… a lipstick… and a small silver key.
The key caught Mariana's attention immediately.
She had seen that symbol before.
A small engraved number:
B-17
Diego's expression changed.
"Where did you get that?"
Pamela quickly hid the key in her hand.
"It's mine."
"No," Diego said quietly. "It isn't."
He looked at Mariana.
"That's the key to my father's private archive."
The room went silent again.
Héctor's face darkened.
Pamela looked trapped.
The commander extended her hand.
"Give me the key."
"I don't have to."
"You do."
Slowly, Pamela handed it over.
The commander examined it.
"What's in this archive?"
Diego hesitated.
"Documents."
"What kind of documents?"
He looked at his uncle.
"The kind someone would kill for."
Mariana felt her stomach tighten.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
Then a memory suddenly returned to her.
The green folder.
She looked down.
It was gone.
Her eyes widened.
The folder containing all her evidence had disappeared.
"Where's my folder?"
Everyone looked at her.
"The green folder!" she said. "It was right here."
The conference room exploded with confusion.
"It can't disappear by itself," the commander said.
Mariana looked around frantically.
Then her eyes landed on Pamela.
"You took it."
"No, I didn't!"
"You were the only one who left the room during the blackout."
Pamela shook her head desperately.
"I don't have it!"
"Then where is it?"
Nobody answered.
A strange smile slowly appeared on Héctor's face.
Mariana saw it.
And suddenly she understood.
The blackout.
The scream.
The dead guard.
The missing evidence.
It had all been a distraction.
Someone wanted the folder.
Someone already had it.
Then Héctor looked at his watch.
And smiled.
That was when Mariana knew.
"Where is it?" she demanded.
He said nothing.
"Where is my folder?"
Héctor calmly adjusted his tie.
"You really are an intelligent woman."
Her heart pounded.
"What did you do?"
"I did what was necessary."
"Answer me!"
The old man slowly looked up.
Then he said something that made everyone freeze.
"The folder is already burning."
Silence.
Mariana's blood ran cold.
"No."
"The incinerator in the basement starts automatically at midnight."
"You liar."
"Go look for yourself."
Without thinking, Mariana ran.
Diego followed.
The police commander and several officers rushed after them.
The elevator felt painfully slow.
Thirty seconds later, the doors opened into the underground archive level.
A smell filled the corridor.
Smoke.
Mariana's heart nearly stopped.
She ran toward the incineration room.
The door was slightly open.
Inside, flames danced behind thick glass.
Papers were burning.
Hundreds of pages.
"No…" she whispered.
She dropped to her knees.
Everything.
Months of investigation.
Every bank record.
Every signature.
Every piece of evidence.
Gone.
Behind her, Diego stood frozen.
The commander cursed under her breath.
And then…
Someone laughed.
They turned.
Héctor was standing at the end of the corridor.
No one had noticed him following them.
He looked happier than he had all night.
"It's over," he said.
Mariana slowly stood.
Tears filled her eyes.
"You killed a man… and destroyed the evidence."
"Can you prove it?"
Silence.
He smiled.
"That's what I thought."
Then he looked at Diego.
"Your father built this company."
His smile widened.
"And tonight… I finally buried it."
Mariana's hands shook.
She had failed.
Everything was lost.
Then her phone vibrated.
One message.
Unknown number.
She looked at the screen.
And suddenly…
she smiled.
Diego stared at her.
"What is it?"
Mariana slowly lifted her eyes.
For the first time that night, she looked completely calm.
Then she said the last words Héctor expected to hear:
"You burned the wrong folder."
The smile disappeared from his face.
"What?"
Mariana held up her phone.
A new message appeared on the screen:
BACKUP SUCCESSFUL. ALL FILES UPLOADED.
She looked directly into his eyes.
"I never keep the originals."
For the first time that night…
Héctor Armenta looked afraid.
And somewhere upstairs, police sirens began to multiply.
May you like
Because the real war…
was only beginning.
