Chapter 5 - THE RESERVOIR
The SUV disappeared into the Andalusian hills.
Adrian drove faster.
Elena sat beside him.
Isabella was in the back.
Nobody spoke.
Then Isabella’s phone rang.
Victoria.
Isabella answered.
“Where is my son?”
Victoria laughed softly.
“You still haven’t learned.”
“Tell Victor to stop.”
“Come home.”
“No.”
“Isabella.”
“If anything happens to Gabriel, I will destroy you.”
“You?”
Victoria sounded amused.
“You have spent your entire life hiding behind me.”
“Not anymore.”
She ended the call.
Ten minutes later they reached the reservoir.
Victor’s SUV stood beside the water.
Empty.
Elena jumped out.
“Mateo!”
No answer.
They separated.
Adrian found footprints in the mud.
Adult.
Child.
Leading toward an abandoned pumping station.
He entered.
Mateo sat tied to a chair.
Victor stood behind him.
A pistol rested against the boy’s shoulder.
Isabella screamed.
“Gabriel!”
Victor smiled.
“You should have stayed at your wedding.”
Adrian raised his hands.
“Let him go.”
“Can’t.”
“Why?”
“Because seven years ago I made the mistake of trusting Elena.”
Mateo stared at him.
“You tried to kill me.”
Victor shrugged.
“Orders.”
Isabella stepped forward.
“My mother ordered you.”
Victor laughed.
“Your mother orders everyone.”
“Put the gun down.”
“She won’t protect you.”
“She never has.”
Victor’s smile disappeared.
“What did you say?”
“She will blame everything on you.”
“You think I don’t know that?”
He pulled a phone from his pocket.
“I kept records.”
“Every payment.”
“Every instruction.”
“Every dirty job.”
Adrian stared at him.
“Then give them to the police.”
Victor laughed.
“And spend the rest of my life in prison?”
Sirens sounded in the distance.
Victor’s face changed.
Adrian had called emergency services during the drive.
Victor grabbed Mateo.
The boy screamed.
Isabella moved without thinking.
She lunged.
The gun fired.
Elena screamed.
Isabella hit the floor.
Blood spread across the sleeve of her wedding gown.
Adrian tackled Victor.
They crashed against the concrete wall.
The gun skidded away.
Mateo kicked it beneath a rusted machine.
Victor punched Adrian.
Adrian hit him back.
Then Elena grabbed a metal pipe.
She swung once.
Victor collapsed.
Police stormed inside seconds later.
Mateo ran toward Isabella.
She was clutching her shoulder.
He stopped several feet away.
She looked up.
“Gabriel.”
He stared at her.
“My name is Mateo.”
The words hurt more than the bullet.
Isabella nodded.
“Mateo.”
He took one cautious step closer.
Then police handcuffed Victor.
As they dragged him away, he started laughing.
Adrian turned.
“What’s funny?”
Victor looked at Isabella.
“You still think your mother wanted Gabriel dead because of the inheritance?”
Isabella froze.
Victor smiled.
“That was only half of it.”
“What’s the other half?”
May you like
Victor leaned toward her.
“Ask your mother who Gabriel’s father really is.”
