Chapter 4 - THE VOICE INSIDE THE RABBIT
Valentina’s scream tore through the library.
Diego reached her before her head touched the marble floor.
He caught her small body against his chest.
Her eyes were half-open.
Her breathing was weak.
“Valentina.”
Diego’s voice broke.
“Look at me.”
The little girl did not respond.
Marisol dropped to her knees beside him.
“What happened?”
“What happened to my baby?”
Dr. Salazar rushed into the room.
He immediately checked Valentina’s pulse.
“Move her to the sofa.”
Diego lifted her carefully.
Marisol followed so closely that she nearly tripped over the torn stuffed rabbit.
The toy lay open on the floor.
Its faded fabric had been sliced from neck to tail.
White stuffing spilled across the carpet.
In the center of it all sat the tiny black recording device.
Its red light continued blinking.
Ramón picked it up using a handkerchief.
Paulina stood in the doorway.
For one second, her face showed something unmistakable.
Fear.
Then it disappeared.
Dr. Salazar opened his medical case.
He placed a small oxygen mask over Valentina’s face.
Marisol stroked her daughter’s hair.
“Please wake up.”
“Please, mi amor.”
Valentina’s fingers twitched.
Diego watched every breath.
Each one felt too slow.
Dr. Salazar looked toward the glass on the table.
“What did she drink?”
Marisol pointed at the small cup of warm milk.
“That.”
The doctor lifted it carefully.
He smelled the liquid.
Then he dipped a testing strip inside.
His expression changed almost immediately.
“This contains a sedative.”
Marisol’s face collapsed.
“No.”
“I prepared it myself.”
Diego turned toward her.
“Did you leave it unattended?”
Marisol searched her memory.
“Only for a minute.”
“I went to get her blanket.”
Teresa covered her mouth.
“I carried the tray from the kitchen.”
Diego looked at her.
“Who was in the kitchen?”
Teresa hesitated.
“Almost everyone.”
“Give me names.”
“Clara.”
“Mateo.”
“Lucía.”
“And Señora Paulina.”
All eyes moved toward Paulina.
She laughed in disbelief.
“This is insanity.”
Ramón stepped in front of her.
“Do not leave the room.”
Paulina’s eyes flashed.
“You cannot detain me.”
Diego did not look away from Valentina.
“He can.”
Paulina stepped forward.
“I did not touch that milk.”
Teresa spoke quietly.
“You asked whether Valentina had already had her evening drink.”
Paulina turned on her.
“Because the child was wandering around the mansion.”
“You told me to warm it again.”
“You said it would help her sleep.”
Paulina’s face hardened.
“That proves nothing.”
Ramón held up the recording device.
“But this might.”
The room fell silent.
Diego looked at it.
“Can you play it?”
Ramón examined the device.
“There is a memory card.”
“It may be encrypted.”
Diego’s jaw tightened.
“Take it to the security office.”
“No.”
Marisol’s voice stopped him.
Everyone looked at her.
She stood beside the sofa with tears running down her face.
“I want to hear it here.”
Diego studied her.
“Marisol.”
“If someone recorded my daughter, I want to know why.”
Ramón nodded.
He connected the device to a laptop.
The screen displayed dozens of audio files.
Each one was marked with a date.
Some went back more than two years.
Marisol stared at the list.
“They have been listening to us that long?”
Diego’s expression darkened.
Ramón opened the oldest file.
At first, there was only static.
Then Marisol’s voice filled the room.
Soft.
Tired.
Close to tears.
“One day, Valentina, I will tell you who your father is.”
The recording continued.
“He did not know about you.”
“At least, that is what I choose to believe.”
A child’s sleepy voice answered.
“Is my papá nice?”
Marisol’s recorded voice trembled.
“He used to be.”
Diego looked away.
The pain on his face was immediate.
Paulina crossed her arms.
“So Marisol knew exactly what she was doing.”
Diego turned toward her.
“She was speaking to her daughter in private.”
“In my house.”
“My house.”
He corrected her again.
Ramón selected another file.
This one was recent.
Paulina’s voice filled the library.
“Double the amount.”
Marisol stopped breathing.
A man answered.
“It could make the child sick.”
Paulina’s recorded voice became colder.
“I said double it.”
“She needs to sleep through tomorrow.”
Diego’s face transformed.
No one moved.
No one breathed.
Ramón paused the recording.
Paulina stepped backward.
“That is not my voice.”
Teresa stared at her.
“It is.”
Paulina looked at Diego.
“Audio can be manipulated.”
“Everything can be manipulated now.”
Diego approached her.
“You ordered someone to drug my daughter.”
“No.”
“You said to double the amount.”
“I said that recording is false.”
“Who were you speaking to?”
“I was not speaking to anyone.”
Ramón resumed the audio.
The unknown man spoke again.
“And if Marisol notices?”
Paulina answered without hesitation.
“She won’t.”
“She is too tired to notice anything.”
Marisol’s face twisted with rage.
She stepped toward Paulina.
Diego blocked her gently.
“No.”
Marisol pointed at the woman.
“You drugged my child.”
Paulina’s eyes narrowed.
“Control yourself.”
“You watched me carry her when she could barely keep her eyes open.”
“You watched me blame myself.”
“You made me think I was failing her.”
Paulina did not answer.
Marisol’s voice rose.
“Why?”
“Why would you do that to a three-year-old?”
Paulina finally lost control.
“Because she kept going where she did not belong.”
The confession fell into the room before she could stop it.
Everyone stared at her.
Paulina realized what she had said.
She changed her tone immediately.
“That is not what I meant.”
Diego stepped closer.
“What did you mean?”
“She wandered.”
“She listened.”
“She was always nearby.”
“She could have heard things.”
Diego’s voice became dangerously quiet.
“What things?”
Paulina said nothing.
Ramón returned to the list of recordings.
One file was marked with a star.
The date was six weeks earlier.
He opened it.
At first, the room heard only footsteps.
Then Paulina’s voice.
“The wedding must happen before Diego learns the truth.”
A second voice answered.
A male voice.
Older.
Careful.
“And the child?”
Paulina replied.
“She disappears with the mother.”
“After the marriage, no one will question it.”
Diego’s eyes hardened.
The male voice spoke again.
“Your father promised the Villaseñor shares once the merger was complete.”
Paulina answered.
“My father always gets what he is promised.”
Diego looked at her.
“This was never about marrying me.”
Paulina’s lips tightened.
“You knew our engagement involved business.”
“No.”
“I knew our families had contracts.”
“I did not know your family planned to use our marriage to take control of my company.”
Paulina laughed bitterly.
“You think your family is innocent?”
“Your father created this arrangement.”
“My father is dead.”
“Conveniently.”
The word made Diego pause.
Paulina noticed.
So did Ramón.
Diego stepped closer.
“What does that mean?”
Paulina looked away.
“What does what mean?”
“You said conveniently.”
“I meant he is not here to answer for himself.”
Ramón scrolled through the files.
One recording had been made the night Don Esteban died.
The timestamp showed 11:42 p.m.
Diego went still.
“My father died at midnight.”
Ramón opened the file.
A door closed.
Don Esteban’s voice sounded weak.
“You were supposed to frighten the girl.”
“Not poison her.”
Paulina replied.
“The dose was harmless.”
“The mother was becoming suspicious.”
Then another voice entered the recording.
A man.
The same man from before.
“Don Esteban, you need to sign the transfer tonight.”
Don Esteban coughed.
“I changed my mind.”
Paulina’s voice sharpened.
“You cannot change your mind now.”
“I can do whatever I want.”
There was the sound of glass touching wood.
Then Don Esteban spoke again.
“What did you put in my drink?”
Diego froze.
Marisol covered her mouth.
Teresa began to cry.
The recording continued.
A chair scraped across the floor.
Don Esteban gasped.
Then Paulina whispered.
“You should have signed.”
A loud thud followed.
After that, only silence.
Diego stared at Paulina.
She backed toward the doorway.
“You have no proof that recording is real.”
Ramón moved to block her.
Paulina grabbed a heavy silver candlestick from the table.
She swung it at him.
Ramón raised his arm.
The candlestick struck his wrist.
He stumbled back.
Paulina ran.
Diego shouted.
“Lock the gates!”
She raced through the hall.
Servants scattered out of her way.
She reached the front doors.
The handles would not move.
The security locks had already engaged.
Paulina turned.
Diego stood at the far end of the hall.
Behind him, Ramón held his injured wrist.
Marisol remained beside Valentina.
Paulina slowly reached into her robe.
She pulled out a small pistol.
The servants screamed.
Diego stopped.
Paulina raised the weapon.
But she did not point it at him.
She pointed it toward the library.
Toward the child lying unconscious inside.
“Open the door.”
Diego’s face went cold.
Paulina’s hand trembled.
May you like
“Open the gates, Diego.”
“Or your daughter will not wake up a second time.”
