Chapter 6 - The Setup
The next morning, the sun broke through the storm clouds, casting long shafts of bright golden light across the estate's sprawling manicured lawns. To an outsider looking through the iron gates, the mansion appeared as serene and majestic as ever. But inside, the final pieces of an intricate chess game were being moved into position.
At 9:00 AM, Patricia emerged from the master bedroom wearing a striking ivory business suit, her hair styled in an immaculate, razor-sharp bun. She looked every bit the powerful, grieving fiancée preparing to take control of a vast empire in her husband-to-be’s tragic absence.
She walked down the grand staircase, her heels clicking loudly against the floor. In the hallway, she encountered Rosa, who was quietly polishing the silver sconces on the wall.
"Rosa," Patricia said, stopping two steps above her and looking down with a victorious smirk. "Ensure the study is spotless by ten o'clock. Mr. Duarte's legal council will be arriving, along with a high-value business associate. I don't want to see a single speck of dust."
"Yes, Miss Patricia," Rosa said, keeping her gaze lowered.
"And after today," Patricia added in a low, poisonous whisper, "you won't need to worry about polishing silver anymore. The police will be here by eleven to search your quarters. I suggest you get your story straight, although I doubt a thief like you will find much sympathy in a women's correctional facility."
Rosa did not answer. She simply bowed her head slightly and continued her work. Patricia chuckled, a dry, cruel sound, and walked into the grand library to prepare her forged documents.
Upstairs in the nursery, the door clicked open gently. Daniela and Martina were sitting on the rug, whispering quietly to each other, their faces pale with anxiety. When the door opened, they both flinched, expecting Patricia's harsh voice.
Instead, Mateo stepped into the room, holding a encrypted radio tablet.
"Young ladies," Mateo said with a warm, respectful smile, dropping to one knee so he was at eye level with them. "Your father has a message for you."
He tapped the screen. Emiliano's face appeared on the tablet screen in crystal-clear high definition.
"Daddy!" Martina cried out, her small voice choking up as she ran toward the screen. Daniela followed instantly, her eyes wide with disbelief.
"My sweet girls," Emiliano said, his eyes sparkling on the screen as tears welled up. "I am so, so sorry. I am right here in the house. I never left you."
"Daddy, the bad lady..." Daniela wept, pressing her hand against the glass screen. "She said you were gone, and she took Martina's bunny, and she yelled at Rosa—"
"I know, my angels," Emiliano whispered, his heart breaking afresh at their voices. "I saw everything. I am downstairs right now. In just a few minutes, that bad lady is going to leave our house forever, and she will never, ever come back. I promise you on my life."
"Is Rosa going to stay?" Martina asked, her lower lip trembling.
"Rosa is going to stay with us for as long as she wants," Emiliano assured them. "She is the bravest person in the world, and she saved you both. Mateo is going to take you to the private playroom in the east wing now, where it is safe and quiet. When I come to get you, this nightmare will be over."
The two girls nodded, wiping their eyes, relief flooding their young faces as Mateo led them down the private, secured hallway away from the main wing.
By 9:45 AM, a sleek black sedan pulled up the long gravel driveway of the estate. Julian Vance stepped out, wearing a tailored navy suit and sunglasses. He carried a leather briefcase containing the fraudulent offshore transfer deeds. He walked up the front steps with the arrogant confidence of a man who believed he was about to inherit a fortune without firing a single shot.
Patricia met him at the front door, pulling him into the grand foyer and kissing his cheek briefly.
"Everything is set," Patricia whispered, her eyes glowing with triumph. "The attorney, Arthur Pendelton, just called; he's five minutes away. The digital signatures are primed on Duarte's pad. By noon, the Duarte Development Corporation will belong to Vance Holdings."
"You've done an extraordinary job, my dear," Vance said, chuckling as he adjusted his silk tie. "What about the maid and the kids?"
"The maid is being set up for grand larceny as we speak," Patricia sneered. "The police will drag her out in handcuffs before lunch. And the children will be in a boarding school in Switzerland by the end of the month."
"Brilliant," Vance smiled, following her into the grand library. "Simply brilliant."
They walked into the spacious room, lined with thousands of rare leather-bound books and dominated by a massive executive desk made of carved mahogany. On the desk sat the digital signature pad, glowing quietly in the ambient light.
"Let's double-check the transfer documents before Pendelton arrives," Vance said, opening his briefcase and spreading the legal papers across the desk.
Suddenly, the heavy double doors of the library slammed shut behind them with a thunderous BANG.
Patricia jumped, dropping her pen onto the rug. Vance spun around, his hand instinctively reaching toward his coat pocket.
May you like
"What the hell—" Vance began.
From behind the velvet curtains covering the private entrance to the monitoring suite, a heavy latch clicked. The hidden door swung open, and Emiliano Duarte stepped into the room.
