Chapter 6 - THE HOUSE BY THE LAKE
Alejandro drove like the devil was behind him.
Daniel sat beside him.
Elena and Victoria were in the back seat.
Nobody spoke for the first twenty miles.
Then Victoria whispered.
“I’m sorry.”
Alejandro kept his eyes on the road.
“Don’t.”
“I didn’t know it would go this far.”
“You knew my sister was being held.”
“I found out yesterday.”
“And you still put on the dress.”
She started crying.
“I thought I could control my father.”
Alejandro laughed bitterly.
“That’s what everybody in this family keeps saying.”
He glanced at Elena in the mirror.
“You too.”
Elena lowered her eyes.
“You knew Isabella was alive.”
“Yes.”
“For sixteen years?”
“For thirteen.”
His jaw tightened.
“You let me visit an empty grave.”
“I was trying to protect her.”
“You let me speak at her funeral.”
“I know.”
“You watched me blame myself because our last conversation was a fight.”
Elena’s voice cracked.
“I know.”
Alejandro slammed the steering wheel.
“No, you don’t.”
Silence.
Then Elena said quietly.
“She made me promise.”
He looked at her reflection.
“She believed if you knew, you would come for her.”
“I would have.”
“That’s why.”
Alejandro frowned.
Elena continued.
“Your grandmother told Isabella that if she contacted you, you would lose everything.”
“My money?”
“Your life.”
Alejandro went quiet.
“Beatriz threatened me?”
“She threatened everyone.”
They reached the lake house at dusk.
A large wooden property sat behind black iron gates.
No lights.
No cars.
Daniel checked the perimeter.
“Gate’s locked.”
Alejandro rammed it.
Victoria screamed.
The SUV crashed through.
They stopped near the house.
Daniel drew his weapon.
Alejandro moved toward the front door.
“Stay behind me.”
Elena ignored him and followed.
Victoria followed Elena.
The door was unlocked.
Inside, everything smelled wrong.
Bleach.
Gasoline.
Smoke.
Daniel’s head snapped upward.
“Fire.”
A thin black stream curled beneath the basement door.
“Elena!”
She had already started running.
“Isabella!”
Alejandro kicked the basement door open.
Smoke exploded into the hallway.
Daniel grabbed his shoulder.
“We need the fire department.”
“Call them.”
Alejandro wrapped his jacket over his mouth.
Then he went down.
“Elena, stay outside!”
She followed anyway.
“Isabella!”
The basement was dark.
Heat pressed against them.
Somewhere beyond the smoke, someone coughed.
Alejandro froze.
Again.
A weak cough.
“This way!”
He kicked open one door.
Empty.
Second door.
Storage.
Third.
Locked.
Someone pounded once from inside.
Alejandro threw his body into it.
Nothing.
Daniel came behind him.
Together, they hit it.
The frame cracked.
Again.
The door burst open.
A woman lay chained to a pipe.
Her hair covered her face.
Alejandro stopped breathing.
“Elena…”
Elena stumbled past him.
“Isabella!”
The woman slowly lifted her head.
Alejandro saw his sister for the first time in sixteen years.
Older.
Bruised.
Alive.
Her eyes found him.
For a second, she looked like the nineteen-year-old girl he remembered.
Then she whispered.
“You came.”
Alejandro dropped to his knees.
“I came.”
She started crying.
The ceiling cracked above them.
Daniel shouted.
“We have to move!”
Alejandro grabbed the chain.
“It’s locked.”
Isabella shook her head.
“Leave me.”
“No.”
“Alejandro.”
“No.”
Elena searched the room.
“Keys!”
Isabella coughed.
“Richard took them.”
Daniel raised his gun.
“Back up.”
He fired into the lock.
Once.
Twice.
It broke.
Alejandro lifted Isabella.
The ceiling began collapsing.
They ran.
Behind them, flames swallowed the basement.
They reached the lawn seconds before the lower windows exploded.
Alejandro laid Isabella in the grass.
She grabbed his shirt.
“Where’s Noah?”
“He’s safe.”
Her eyes closed with relief.
Then they opened again.
“The letter.”
“I read part of it.”
“No.”
She tightened her grip.
“You need the second page.”
Alejandro frowned.
“There was only one.”
Isabella’s face filled with fear.
“Then she got to it first.”
“Who?”
Isabella looked past him.
Toward Victoria.
“No.”
Her voice trembled.
“Not her.”
Alejandro leaned closer.
“Who?”
May you like
Isabella whispered.
“Grandmother.”
