Take it. You’re weak. Don’t be paranoid. There was a tense silence. Then Carmen’s voice drifted in, whispering near the device. Let him drink more, let him die already. Alejandro rested his hand on the edge of the table. Sofía blinked rapidly and then burst into tears, the question spilling out as if she could no longer contain it. They—they poisoned my dad. Alejandro placed his hand gently over hers. He kept his voice low, firm, and steady. Your father didn’t want you to live in fear.
He left you the truth. Sofia squeezed the bear, her tears soaking its fur. Dad knew what they were doing to him. Maybe your father knew he wouldn’t survive. He understood what was happening and trusted someone to protect you and preserve this evidence. Today, that’s what I’ll do. I’ll expose every one of those vile people. Alejandro rewound a few sections, listening carefully for breathing, the clink of a glass, the scraping of a chair. He opened the file properties, took a screenshot, and saved two backups, one on the hard drive and one in the cloud.
His movements were precise, not a second wasted. Uncle Alejandro, if they find out about this, they’ll take my USB drive away, right? No one can take it away from you now. Alejandro’s gaze was firm, his voice low. Not even them. He took out his phone and dialed a middle-aged man. When the voice answered on the other end, Alejandro said briefly, “Mendoa, this is Alejandro, I need you today. There’s audio evidence related to a poisoning and a family dispute. Professor Guillermo Mendoza was a law professor and a lawyer specializing in finance and family matters in New York.
He had advised Alejandro on several difficult transactions and was known for his meticulousness. On the other end of the line, Mendoza spoke calmly. “Keep everything as it is. Don’t send anything via text. I’ll go over there, and Alejandro, stay calm. Protect the girl first.” Alejandro hung up and then bent down to look Sofia in the eye. “This morning we’re going to have a proper breakfast. After that, a trusted uncle will come to see you. He doesn’t talk much, but he’s always on the side of the truth.”
Sofia nodded slightly. Uncle, if Dad were alive, he’d be happy I found this. Alejandro swallowed. Your father would be proud that you were brave enough to face the truth. He put the USB drive in a shockproof case, put it in the safe in his office, locked it, and then sent a brief message to Mendoza. Three copies saved, one offline. Sofia wiped her tears with her shirtsleeve.
He took a deep breath and whispered to his teddy bear. Mom, I found what Dad left. I’ll keep it safe. Inside Alejandro, determination rose like a pillar. At first, he had only intended to repay his debt to Ricardo, but from the moment he heard Carmen’s whisper, he knew it was no longer about gratitude, it was about responsibility. Sofia was a smaller version of himself, as a child, someone who had been stripped of his rightful place.
He was going to give it back to her. At the same time, in a rented apartment, Carmen slammed the newspaper against the glass table. It read: Millionaire Alejandro Vargas removes daughter from her house. She dug her nails into the edge of the table, her voice hissing through her teeth. She’s challenging me. Roberto lit a cigarette, leaned back, and smiled disdainfully. Calm down. Don’t cry like that in front of the press again. They can see through the falsehood.
Do you think I don’t know? The girl is with him, and he still has shares in the company. Carmen turned around. I’ll sue him for kidnapping. I’ll say he’s exploiting her to seize her assets. Roberto exhaled smoke, his eyes narrowing. Then sue him, but you must bring her back at all costs. If she stays out of our reach, our plan will fall apart. He lowered his head and spoke softly, as if sealing an unspoken order. The girl has shares in the company.
She must be brought back at all costs. Otherwise, our plan will collapse. That afternoon, Alejandro’s phone rang nonstop. His inbox was flooded with new alerts, articles, news briefs, and online comments. A photo of Carmen standing in front of the house with red-rimmed eyes, holding a black-and-white portrait of Ricardo, appeared everywhere. The headline scrolled across the screen: Millionaire Alejandro Vargas takes the girl from her home to seize the property.
Alejandro turned off the screen, poured Sofia a glass of warm milk, and said softly, “Finish this, then we’ll go to the library.” Sofia nodded, hugging her teddy bear tightly. The tired look in her eyes refused to go away. They entered the lobby of the public library. The space was silent. Footsteps muffled against the floor. At the information desk, a young woman looked up and offered a friendly smile. She was in her twenties.
Her hair neatly tied back, a name tag pinned to her sweater. Emilia Campos, librarian in charge of digital archives and public records. Her voice was firm and clear. “How can I help you and your little one today?” Alejandro left a thin folder on the counter: a copy of the will, the stock registration papers, Ricardo’s treatment schedule. “We need to verify the authenticity of this, the dates, and any irregularities.” Emilia glanced at the documents, then extended her hand to Sofia.
Hello, my name is Emilia. I’ll help you find the right answers. Sofia took her hand lightly. Emilia turned back to her computer, accessing corporate databases, electronic records, and the hospital’s public records. Her clicks were precise. Then, her eyes stopped on a detail. “Here,” she said, turning the screen so they could both see. “The stock transfer agreement is dated March 14th.” Alejandro Setensó. The day Ricardo was admitted to the hospital for the second time, Emilia nodded.
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