Chapter 4: The Man Everyone Trusted
Chapter 4: The Man Everyone Trusted
Valeria couldn't take her eyes off the stranger.
He looked like the kind of man who belonged in a boardroom, not in a world filled with secrets and fear.
His charcoal-gray suit was perfectly tailored.
His polished shoes reflected the morning sun.
Silver streaks ran through his neatly combed black hair, giving him an air of quiet authority.
He smiled easily as Alejandro led him toward the mansion.
To everyone watching, he appeared completely harmless.
But beside Valeria, Esteban's hands were trembling so violently that he nearly dropped his gardening shears.
"Who is he?" Valeria whispered.
The old gardener swallowed hard.
"His name is Ricardo Salazar."
"The attorney?"
Esteban nodded.
"Alejandro's personal lawyer."
Valeria frowned.
"You think he's the one who threatened you?"
"I know that voice."
"You've never seen his face before?"
"It was dark that night."
He lowered his voice even more.
"But I will never forget the way he spoke."
Valeria watched Ricardo disappear through the front doors beside Alejandro.
The lawyer casually placed a hand on Alejandro's shoulder as though they had been friends for years.
There was complete trust between them.
And somehow...
That frightened her even more.
Inside the mansion, Ricardo greeted every employee by name.
"Good morning, Rosa."
"Nice work on the new flowers, Carlos."
He even smiled warmly at Doña Socorro.
"My favorite aunt of the house."
The elderly housekeeper forced a polite smile.
"You always know how to flatter people, Señor Salazar."
"It's good business."
His laugh echoed through the foyer.
Only Valeria noticed that Doña Socorro never laughed with him.
Instead, she quietly looked away.
Later that afternoon, Alejandro called Valeria into his office.
The room overlooked the mountains surrounding San Pedro Garza García.
Dark wood shelves lined the walls.
Family photographs stood beside business awards.
One picture caught Valeria's attention.
Alejandro.
Elena.
Baby Mateo.
And standing beside them...
Ricardo Salazar.
Alejandro noticed where she was looking.
"We've known Ricardo for nearly twenty years."
"He seems very close to your family."
"He was my father's attorney first."
Alejandro poured himself a cup of coffee.
"Now he's practically family."
Valeria forced a small smile.
"I see."
Alejandro sat behind his desk.
"I wanted to thank you."
"There isn't any need."
"There is."
He slid an envelope across the desk.
Inside was enough cash to pay several months of her brother's medical expenses.
Valeria stared at it.
"I can't accept this."
"It's not charity."
"What is it?"
"A bonus."
She looked up.
"You stayed when everyone else left."
She hesitated.
Then quietly accepted the envelope.
"Thank you."
As she turned to leave, Alejandro spoke again.
"Mateo asked for you."
Valeria froze.
"He..."
Alejandro smiled sadly.
"He didn't speak."
"But he pointed toward the hallway until someone found you."
For the first time in two years...
His son had asked for someone.
Mateo spent the afternoon drawing in the sunroom.
Valeria sat beside him.
Crayons were scattered across the table.
At first, his drawings looked ordinary.
Trees.
Birds.
Clouds.
Then she noticed something strange.
Every picture included the same black door.
Always hidden in the corner.
Always locked.
Always surrounded by dark scribbles.
She gently pointed to it.
"What's behind this door?"
Mateo stopped coloring.
His smile disappeared.
His small hand tightened around the crayon until it snapped in half.
"I'm sorry."
She reached over and placed another crayon beside him.
"You don't have to answer."
Instead of continuing the drawing...
Mateo slowly drew another figure.
A tall man.
Standing beside the black door.
The man had no face.
Only a long red line where his mouth should have been.
Valeria felt a chill.
"Is he the bad man?"
Mateo looked at the drawing.
Then nodded once.
That evening, after everyone had gone to bed, Valeria finally opened Elena's journal.
The first page contained elegant handwriting.
If you're reading this, it means I was right to be afraid.
Valeria's breath caught.
She turned the page.
My name is Elena Ríos. If anything happens to me, my death was not an accident.
Another page.
Someone inside this house is helping my enemies.
Her pulse quickened.
She flipped to the next page—
Only to discover every remaining page had been carefully cut out.
Hundreds of pages.
Gone.
Only the first two remained.
Someone had removed the rest.
Years ago.
Valeria stared in disbelief.
The journal had been emptied.
Someone had already found it once.
Someone who didn't want anyone reading Elena's words.
Suddenly—
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
Three soft taps.
Valeria quickly hid the journal beneath her pillow.
"Who is it?"
"It's me."
Doña Socorro.
Valeria opened the door.
The elderly housekeeper looked unusually nervous.
"We need to talk."
"What happened?"
"Come with me."
They quietly walked through the sleeping mansion until they reached the servants' kitchen.
Doña Socorro checked both doors before speaking.
"I saw Ricardo watching you today."
Valeria remained silent.
"He asked me questions."
"What kind?"
"He wanted to know why Mateo suddenly trusts you."
Valeria's stomach tightened.
"What did you tell him?"
"The truth."
"And?"
"I said I didn't know."
The old woman leaned closer.
"You must be careful."
"You think he's dangerous."
"I think..." she whispered, "...he always appears whenever something bad is about to happen."
Before Valeria could respond, every light in the kitchen suddenly went out.
Darkness swallowed the room.
A second later...
The mansion's emergency generator started.
The lights flickered back on.
Only dimly.
Doña Socorro looked toward the security monitor mounted above the pantry.
Every camera feed had gone black.
One by one.
Every single screen displayed the same message.
SIGNAL LOST
The old woman's face turned pale.
"No..."
"What is it?"
"The cameras have never failed."
At that exact moment, a loud crash echoed from the second floor.
Then another.
Followed by the unmistakable sound of shattering glass.
Mateo.
Valeria didn't wait.
She sprinted toward the staircase.
Doña Socorro followed close behind.
When they reached Mateo's bedroom, the door stood wide open.
The room was empty.
The window was shattered.
Cold night air poured inside.
On the floor lay Mateo's stuffed rabbit.
And beside it...
A single white lily.
Freshly cut.
Valeria slowly picked it up.
Wrapped around the stem was a folded piece of paper.
Her hands trembled as she unfolded it.
May you like
Only six words were written in neat black ink.
Stop looking... or lose the boy.
