CHAPTER 1: THE MAID, THE RELIC, AND THE WOMAN FROM THE STORM
The storm rattled the windows of the Pedregal mansion with unusual violence.
Rain hammered the glass.
Thunder shook the walls.
Inside the luxurious kitchen, Arturo Mendoza moved on pure instinct.
Before Constanza's stiletto heel could crush the silver relic lying on the marble floor, he lunged forward and snatched it away.
The metal scraped against his palm.
Across the room, Lupita—the young maid—stood trembling beside the kitchen island.
Her hand instinctively covered her chest.
The exact place where the relic had hung moments earlier.
Before anyone could speak, the heavy service doors burst open.
A woman rushed inside.
She looked exhausted.
Soaked by rain.
Her clothes clung to her frail body.
Dark sores marked her arms.
And panic filled her eyes.
“Don't leave her alone with that snake!”
Her trembling finger pointed directly at Constanza.
The room froze.
For the first time in fifteen years of marriage, Arturo saw fear cross his wife's face.
“You...” Constanza whispered.
“No. It can't be.”
The newcomer ignored her.
Instead, she looked toward Lupita.
The young maid gasped.
“Mrs. Carmen?”
Arturo lowered his eyes to the relic in his hand.
It had opened during the struggle.
Inside was an old photograph.
A young politician holding a newborn baby.
But what caught Arturo's attention wasn't the man.
It was a woman's hand visible at the edge of the photograph.
A hand wearing a distinctive gold-and-diamond bracelet.
A bracelet Arturo recognized instantly.
Because Constanza had kept that exact heirloom locked inside her private safe for decades.
His heart pounded.
Slowly, he looked up.
“Constanza.”
His voice was dangerously calm.
“I want the truth.”
His wife straightened her posture.
The fear disappeared.
The mask returned.
“The truth?” she sneered.
“The truth is that these people are trying to extort us.”
She pointed toward Carmen.
“Just like her sister did years ago.”
Then she looked at Lupita.
“And now this little parasite is trying the same thing.”
Lupita looked devastated.
“Do you know my mother?”
Carmen stepped forward.
Rainwater pooled around her feet.
“Yes.”
Her voice cracked.
“I knew your mother very well.”
Then she turned toward Arturo.
And revealed the first secret.
A secret that would shatter the entire family.
“Your maid isn't here by accident.”
May you like
The room fell silent.
Because Carmen was about to explain who Lupita really was.
