CHAPTER 11 — THE SECOND RENATA
Ariadna had cut and dyed her hair to match Renata’s.
From a distance, the resemblance was disturbing.
Up close, the hatred in her eyes destroyed the illusion.
“You always looked so grateful,” Ariadna said. “That was the part I hated most.”
Renata held Elena’s ledger against her chest.
“You framed me for financial crimes.”
“I gave the family what they needed.”
“And what did they promise you?”
“Freedom.”
Tomás kept the gun lowered.
“No one needs to get hurt.”
Lucía stepped in front of Renata.
“Put the weapon down.”
“It is not for you,” Tomás said. “Ariadna brought it.”
Ariadna laughed.
“Of course he would say that.”
Daniel moved slowly toward the exit, but Tomás shook his head.
“There are men outside working for my mother.”
Renata looked at him.
“You told us Evangelina had kidnapped you.”
“I needed you to act quickly. The transfer had to happen before the account freeze.”
“You returned the stolen money.”
“I returned a fraction of it.”
Tomás explained that he had discovered Alonso’s plan months earlier. Alonso intended to expose Evangelina, seize the surviving assets, and leave the country with Ariadna.
Tomás had convinced Ariadna that Alonso would betray her.
Together, they began building their own escape plan.
“Everyone in this family was stealing from everyone else,” Renata said.
Tomás looked ashamed.
“That is how we were raised.”
“And you thought returning a little money made you different?”
“No. But it bought us time.”
Ariadna reached for Elena’s ledger.
“Give me the book.”
Renata did not move.
“This proves what Evangelina did.”
“It proves what all of them did. Including Octavio.”
Renata looked down at the ledger.
Ariadna continued.
“Your mother was no innocent partner. She helped design the first hidden accounts.”
“That’s a lie.”
“Read the entries from 1996.”
Renata opened the ledger.
Several payments had been authorized with Elena’s initials.
Lucía examined them.
“These could have been added later.”
“They weren’t,” Ariadna said. “Elena helped Octavio hide political payments. Then she grew a conscience after she had already become rich.”
Renata felt as though the floor had tilted.
All this time, she had imagined her mother as a courageous woman standing alone against corruption.
The ledger suggested something more complicated.
Elena had participated before attempting to expose it.
“She wanted to correct what she had done,” Renata said.
“Perhaps,” Ariadna replied. “But Evangelina never forgave her for choosing morality after taking her share.”
Tomás looked through the front window.
“We have to leave.”
Black vehicles had stopped outside.
Men were approaching the building.
Tomás finally placed the gun on the floor.
“Those are not police.”
Ariadna grabbed the ledger from Renata and ran toward the back exit.
Daniel tried to stop her.
She struck him with the metal box and disappeared through the doorway.
Tomás followed.
Renata ran after them into a narrow courtyard.
Ariadna was already climbing into a waiting car.
Before she entered, she shouted toward Renata.
“Ask Alonso who was in your mother’s car the night she died.”
The vehicle accelerated away.
Renata turned toward Tomás.
He had not escaped with Ariadna.
Instead, he stood with his hands raised as the armed men entered the courtyard.
One of them removed his sunglasses.
It was Octavio’s longtime driver, Rafael.
The man who had worked for the Ibarra family for thirty years.
May you like
He looked at Renata and spoke quietly.
“I was in Elena’s car.”
