CHAPTER 3 — The Footage No One Was Supposed to See
Alejandro's hand hovered over the mouse.
For several long seconds, he couldn't bring himself to press Play.
His heartbeat echoed through the silent office.
Outside, the late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the estate, but inside the room, everything felt strangely cold.
Finally...
He clicked.
The security footage appeared.
The timestamp in the upper corner read 2:16:42 p.m.
At first, nothing seemed unusual.
The camera overlooked the rear patio and part of the garden. The old kennel stood in the corner of the frame, partly hidden behind flowering bushes.
Then the back door opened.
Alejandro leaned closer.
Valentina appeared, carrying Santiago carefully in her arms.
She looked frightened.
Behind her walked Paulina.
Alejandro frowned.
There was no audio, but body language spoke louder than words.
Paulina pointed toward the kennel.
Valentina shook her head.
Even from a distance, Alejandro could see his daughter's hesitation.
Then Paulina motioned again.
Firmly.
Valentina slowly stepped inside the old enclosure, still protecting her baby brother.
Paulina closed the gate.
A second later...
She attached a padlock.
Alejandro's breathing stopped.
He watched Paulina glance around the garden before walking calmly back into the house.
She never looked back.
Never checked on the children.
Never opened the gate.
The recording continued.
Minute after minute.
Valentina remained beside Santiago, fanning him with the edge of her shirt and shielding him from the direct sunlight as best she could.
Alejandro's eyes filled with tears.
His eight-year-old daughter wasn't thinking about herself.
She was trying to comfort her little brother.
He paused the video.
His hands were shaking.
"No..."
he whispered.
"This can't be everything."
He rewound the footage another ten minutes.
The kitchen camera appeared on the screen.
There was no sound, but the sequence was unmistakable.
The crystal pitcher slipped.
Valentina immediately tried to clean the floor.
She wrapped her injured hand in a towel before anyone entered.
Paulina arrived moments later.
Alejandro watched her gesture sharply toward the hallway before the recording switched back to the garden camera.
Nothing in the footage supported the explanation Paulina had given.
Not one frame.
Not one second.
A knock interrupted his thoughts.
It was María, the family's longtime housekeeper.
She had worked for Alejandro's parents before he inherited the estate.
Her hands trembled.
"Sir..."
Alejandro turned.
"You wanted to see me?"
He nodded.
"I need the truth."
María lowered her eyes.
For nearly a minute, neither of them spoke.
Finally, she took a slow breath.
"I've been afraid to say anything."
Alejandro felt his stomach tighten.
"Afraid of what?"
"Afraid that no one would believe me."
She carefully placed a small notebook on his desk.
"I started writing dates because I was worried I would forget."
Alejandro opened it.
Each page contained short entries.
Not accusations.
Observations.
June 8 — Valentina skipped dinner and said she wasn't hungry.
June 19 — Santiago cried for nearly an hour while the nanny had been sent home early.
July 2 — Paulina dismissed another caregiver after only two weeks.
There were no conclusions.
Only facts.
Enough to suggest a troubling pattern.
María's voice broke.
"I wanted to protect them... but every employee who questioned Mrs. Paulina lost their job."
Alejandro looked at the notebook, then back at the paused security footage.
This was no longer about one afternoon.
It might be much bigger.
Just then, his phone vibrated.
It was a message from the company's head of security.
I've backed up today's camera recordings. There is something unusual. One of the cameras was remotely disabled for exactly twelve minutes this morning. Would you like me to come over immediately?
Alejandro stared at the message.
His heart sank.
If someone had tried to interfere with the security system...
What else had they been hiding?
For the first time, he realized the shocking footage might not be the end of the mystery.
May you like
It could be the beginning.
End of Chapter 3.
