Chapter 3 - The Midnight Rescue and the Trap is Set
Carmen’s heart was in her throat. The heavy footsteps of her son echoed on the marble tiles, drawing nearer to the study.
“Where did I leave my keys?” Mauricio’s voice muttered from just outside the door.
In a desperate, adrenaline-fueled rush, Carmen dropped to her knees, swept the scattered papers into a messy pile, and shoved them under the heavy Persian rug beneath the desk. She scrambled to her feet just as the study door swung open.
Mauricio stood in the doorway, his hand on the light switch. He flipped it on, illuminating the room. He blinked in surprise, his eyes narrowing as he saw his mother standing near the desk, her face pale, her hands shaking behind her back.
"What are you doing in here?" Mauricio demanded, his voice sharp and suspicious. "This is my private office. You have no business being in this room."
"I... I was just dusting the shelves, Mauricio," Carmen stammered, trying to control her breathing. "I wanted to make sure it was clean for you."
Mauricio stepped into the room, his eyes scanning the desk. He noticed the drawer was slightly open. He walked over, his luxury shoes stepping directly onto the Persian rug—mere inches from where the forged documents were hidden. He reached down and slammed the drawer shut.
"I’ve told you a hundred times, don't touch my things," he sneered, waving his hand dismissively. "Get out. Go clean the kitchen. Your presence in here is irritating."
"Yes, Mauricio. I’m sorry," Carmen said, bowing her head. She walked out of the room, her legs feeling like lead.
The moment she was out of his sight, she slipped out the kitchen door and ran toward the back gate of the property. The cold night air hit her face, but she barely felt it.
Waiting in the shadows of the alleyway was a dark luxury sedan with tinted windows. The rear door swung open.
"Carmen!" a voice cried out.
It was Arturo.
Carmen let out a sob and threw herself into the back seat. Arturo wrapped his strong, calloused arms around her, holding her as if he would never let her go. He buried his face in her hair, his tears mixing with hers.
"I’m so sorry, my love," Arturo whispered, his voice cracking with emotion. "I’m so sorry I let them do this to you. I should have come sooner. I should have known."
"Arturo, they are monsters," Carmen wept, clinging to his jacket. "Mauricio... he forged your name. He took a loan of two million pesos under your shop’s name. The documents are under the rug in his study. We have to get them, but he’s in there right now!"
From the front passenger seat, Hector Delgado turned around, his face grim but determined. "Don't worry, Carmen. We don't need the physical papers tonight. Sofia has already photographed the digital backups from Mauricio’s home network when she was helping with their Wi-Fi setup last week. We have everything we need."
Hector looked at his watch. "The trap is set. We have the proof of physical and psychological abuse from Sofia’s videos. We have the proof of financial fraud and forgery. And most importantly, we have you, Carmen. Safe."
"But what about Mauricio?" Carmen asked, looking back at the mansion. "He is my son... how did he become this way?"
"He became this way because I shielded him from the harsh reality of the world," Arturo said, his eyes turning cold and hard as stone. "I gave him everything without teaching him the value of respect. But now, I am going to teach him his final lesson. And it is going to cost him everything."
The sedan sped away into the night, leaving the exclusive neighborhood behind.
The next morning, Mauricio woke up late. He walked downstairs, expecting to smell fresh coffee and breakfast cooking in the kitchen. Instead, the house was silent. The kitchen was cold, dark, and empty.
"Carmen!" Mauricio called out, his voice echoing through the empty halls. "Where is my breakfast? Valeria! Have you seen my mother?"
Valeria walked down the stairs, yawning, her hair in rollers. "I don't know. I haven't seen her. She’s probably hiding in her room, being lazy as usual. Go scream at her to get up."
Mauricio marched to the small, cramped room near the laundry area where they had forced Carmen to sleep. He threw the door open.
The room was empty. The bed was made. On the small wooden nightstand lay the filthy apron Carmen had been forced to wear. Beside it was a single, hand-written note.
Mauricio picked it up. His eyes widened as he read the words:
Mauricio,
You told your father that visitors aren't welcome without notice. You told him that I was just a homemaker with nothing better to do.
You are right. I have nothing better to do now than to watch your world fall apart.
— Mom
"What is this?" Valeria asked, walking in behind him.
Before Mauricio could answer, his phone began to ring. It was his personal banker.
"Mauricio!" the banker’s voice was frantic. "We have a major problem. The commercial loan of two million pesos you secured last month... the primary guarantor, Autopartes Arturo, has flagged the contract as fraudulent. They have filed a criminal complaint for forgery. The bank has frozen your personal accounts, and the legal department is preparing an immediate lawsuit against you."
Mauricio’s face drained of all color. "What? No! That’s a mistake! My father wouldn't do that!"
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"That's not all, Mauricio," the banker continued, his voice trembling. "A federal marshal is on his way to your property right now. You have been served with an emergency injunction."
As if on cue, the loud, booming sound of the front doorbell echoed through the mansion.
