Chapter 5 - The Break-In We couldn't stay at the market. Alejandro’s men operated with impunity, and if they checked my student records, they would easily find my connection to Carmen’s old neighborhood. Under the cover of a relentless pre-dawn downpour, Clara smuggled me back to Carmen’s narrow alleyway.
The house was dark, untouched, and smelled faintly of dust and old memories. But as we slipped through the back door, I noticed something was wrong. The air was colder. A drawer had been pulled halfway out of the antique mahogany desk in the corner.
"Someone’s been here," I whispered, pulling a heavy brass candlestick from the mantelpiece.
"Not just someone," a smooth, chilling voice echoed from the shadows of the hallway.
We spun around. Standing in the doorway of the bedroom was a tall, impeccably dressed man in his late forties. His hair was slicked back, his eyes cold and devoid of any warmth. He held a silver-headed cane, tapping it softly against the floorboards. Behind him stood the two bruisers who had chased me through my apartment building.
"Alejandro," Clara breathed, her voice trembling slightly.
May you like
The man smiled, but his mouth didn't reach his eyes. "Ah, Doña Clara. Still meddling in business that doesn't concern you. And you must be Diego. The eager little college student who played nursemaid to my mother for a few extra pesos."
Alejandro stepped closer, the floorboards groaning beneath his weight. "You’ve caused me a great deal of trouble, boy. My mother was senile at the end. Whatever she promised you—whatever scrap of paper she signed—is legally void. Hand over the letter, and the deed from the floorboards, and I’ll make sure you graduate college without ever having to worry about money again. Refuse, and you won't live to see your next semester."
