Chapter 3 - Two Birth Certificates

The key fit.

Diego opened the black case in front of everyone.

Inside were documents protected by waterproof sleeves.

Letters.

Hospital records.

Photographs.

Bank transfers.

And two birth certificates.

Diego lifted the first one.

Valentina Marisol Robles.

Mother: Marisol Robles.

Father: blank.

He lifted the second.

Lucia Marisol Robles.

Mother: Marisol Robles.

Father: blank.

Same birthday.

Same hospital.

Birth times separated by eleven minutes.

Marisol sank into a chair.

“Twins.”

Valentina stared at Lucia.

“My sister?”

Lucia nodded slowly.

“I think so.”

Valentina walked toward her.

Neither girl knew what to do.

Then Valentina simply reached out.

Lucia took her hand.

Marisol broke.

She pulled both children against her.

“I didn’t know.”

Her voice cracked.

“I swear to you, I didn’t know.”

Lucia stiffened at first.

Then slowly leaned into her.

Diego turned away.

He could not watch without feeling something inside him tear open.

He began sorting through the letters.

Every envelope carried his name.

Every one had been written by Marisol.

None had been opened.

Diego picked one.

The date was nine years earlier.

He read the first line.

Diego, they told me our daughter died.

His hands began to tremble.

He picked another.

I’m leaving because your family says you never want to see me again.

Another.

I don’t believe them anymore.

Another.

Valentina has your eyes.

Diego stopped.

He looked at Marisol.

“You wrote to me.”

“Thirty-seven letters.”

His voice barely worked.

“I never got one.”

“I know that now.”

Paulina spoke from across the foyer.

“You would have destroyed your life.”

Diego slowly turned.

“You stole nine years.”

“I protected this family.”

“You stole my children.”

“Your father made the decision.”

Diego approached her.

“My father died six years ago.”

“Yes.”

“You had six years to tell me.”

Paulina had no answer.

Diego looked through the documents again.

Then he found something worse.

A trust agreement.

The Villaseñor family inheritance transferred controlling shares to Diego’s first legally recognized biological child when that child turned eighteen.

Valentina and Lucia were not merely daughters someone wanted hidden.

They were heirs.

Diego looked at Paulina.

“That’s what this was about.”

Paulina’s eyes flickered.

“You weren’t protecting me.”

He held up the trust.

“You were protecting the money.”

Before she could respond, one of the firefighters approached.

“Mr. Villaseñor?”

“Yes?”

“We found evidence of an accelerant downstairs.”

Diego looked at Paulina.

The firefighter continued.

“And somebody disabled the suppression system before the fire started.”

Diego’s security chief stepped forward.

“We’ll preserve the camera footage.”

Paulina laughed.

“You think cameras will save you?”

Diego studied her.

“What does that mean?”

She smiled.

“You’re still looking at tonight.”

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