Chapter 15 - The Uninvited Guest
The afternoon sun was warm as Mariana drove back toward Chapalita to pick up Lucía after her afternoon nap. As she parked her sedan along the curb, she noticed an unfamiliar grey sedan idling near the corner of the street.
A man in a cheap suit was standing by the front gate of her parents’ house, tapping on the metal bars with a silver pen.
Mariana stepped out of her car, her keys clutched tightly in her hand. “Can I help you?” she called out, walking purposefully down the sidewalk.
The man turned around. He had slicked-back hair, sharp dark eyes, and an oily smile that didn't reach his eyes. “Ah, you must be Mariana. I’m Attorney Morales—no relation to your brother, I assure you.”
“You’re Sergio’s new appellate lawyer,” Mariana stated, not breaking her stride. “And you’re trespassing on private property.”
“I’m just a messenger,” the lawyer said smoothly, holding up his hands in a gesture of false surrender. “Sergio knows he made mistakes. He wants to settle this outside of court. He’s willing to sign away any future claims to the family estate if you drop the harassment charges regarding the letters.”
Mariana stopped two feet away from him. She looked past the lawyer toward the front window of the house, where her father was watching through the glass.
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“Tell Sergio he can keep his claims,” Mariana said, her voice clear, cold, and entirely devoid of fear. “Tell him the estate belongs to his victims now. And tell him that if he ever sends another letter, another messenger, or even thinks about my daughter again, I won't just keep him in a cell—I’ll make sure he never sees the sun outside concrete walls again.”
The lawyer’s oily smile faltered. He lowered his pen, adjusted his tie, and without another word, turned and walked briskly back toward his grey sedan.
