Chapter 11 - The Woman Behind the Door
“Don't let Julián see who is standing behind me.”
Mariana stared at the steel door.
Her mother's voice had come through the other side.
Alive.
After six years of believing she was dead.
Julián stood beside Mariana with his weapon lowered but ready.
He looked at her.
“Who is behind her?”
Mariana shook her head.
“I don't know.”
The lock clicked.
Gabriel pressed himself against Mariana's side.
Lucía whispered, “Whatever happens, don't open it.”
Mariana looked at her.
“It's my mother.”
“And someone else.”
“How do you know?”
“Because she warned us.”
The door handle moved.
Julián raised his weapon.
“Everyone stay behind me.”
Mariana touched his arm.
“My mother said not to let you see.”
“That means she knows something.”
The door opened a few inches.
A woman's face appeared.
Older.
Paler.
Tired.
Mariana knew her immediately.
Her mother.
Isabel.
Mariana's knees weakened.
“Mom?”
Isabel's eyes filled with tears.
“Mariana.”
Mariana took one step forward.
Isabel opened the door wider.
Then she stopped.
Her gaze moved to Julián.
Fear crossed her face.
“Don't.”
Julián stared at her.
“Don't what?”
Isabel looked behind herself.
Someone was standing in the hallway.
Only a shadow was visible.
Mariana's heart began racing.
“Who is that?”
Isabel whispered,
“The person who has been protecting you.”
Julián's grip tightened around his weapon.
“Step aside.”
“No.”
“Isabel, step aside.”
She shook her head.
“You don't understand.”
“I understand that someone has been hiding my wife and children from me.”
“Not from you.”
Isabel's voice broke.
“From your father.”
Julián went still.
“My father is dead.”
Isabel looked at him.
“No.”
Mariana heard her own heartbeat.
“Mom, tell us the truth.”
Isabel stepped into the room.
The shadow remained behind her.
“I should have told you everything six years ago.”
Mariana's eyes filled.
“You let me believe my baby died.”
“I know.”
“You let me mourn him.”
“I know.”
“You let me think you were dead.”
“I had no choice.”
Mariana's voice rose.
“You always had a choice.”
Isabel flinched.
Gabriel looked at Mariana.
“Is she your grandmother?”
Mariana nodded.
“Yes.”
Isabel looked at him.
Tears rolled down her cheeks.
“Gabriel.”
The boy stepped closer.
“You know me?”
“I knew you before you could walk.”
“Did you take me?”
“No.”
“Then why did you let them hide me?”
Isabel closed her eyes.
“Because I was trying to keep you alive.”
Gabriel looked confused.
Mariana knelt beside him.
“You don't have to worry.”
But Isabel suddenly grabbed Mariana's hand.
“You do.”
Mariana stared.
“What?”
“You and Gabriel are both in danger.”
“We know.”
“No.”
Isabel's voice became urgent.
“You don't know who is coming.”
Julián stepped closer.
“Then tell us.”
Isabel looked at him.
“I can't.”
“You can.”
“No.”
“Your daughter has spent six years believing her son was dead.”
Isabel's eyes hardened.
“I know.”
“Then you owe her the truth.”
Isabel looked at Mariana.
“I owe you more than that.”
She reached inside her coat.
Julián immediately raised his weapon.
“Slowly.”
Isabel removed a small black envelope.
She handed it to Mariana.
Mariana opened it.
Inside was a photograph.
Her mother was standing beside a hospital bed.
Mariana lay unconscious.
Gabriel was a newborn in her arms.
But someone stood behind them.
A man.
Mariana's father.
And beside him was Julián's father.
Both men were looking at the baby.
On the back of the photograph was a handwritten sentence.
The first heir has arrived. The second must be born into the family.
Mariana stared at it.
“The second.”
Isabel nodded.
“Your unborn daughter.”
Julián looked at the photograph.
“Why would they need both?”
“Because Gabriel was the first male heir.”
“And our daughter?”
“The female heir.”
“That still doesn't explain anything.”
Isabel looked toward the hallway.
“It will.”
A sound came from outside.
Footsteps.
Isabel's face changed.
“They found us.”
Julián turned toward the door.
“How?”
Isabel whispered,
“Because there is a tracker inside this room.”
Everyone froze.
Elena looked around.
“A tracker?”
Isabel nodded.
“Rocío put it on Mariana weeks ago.”
Mariana's hand instinctively moved over her clothes.
“Where?”
“Not on her.”
Isabel looked at Gabriel.
“On him.”
Gabriel's face went pale.
Mariana pulled him close.
“No.”
Isabel stepped forward.
“Rocío has been able to follow him since the day he was moved.”
Elena shook her head.
“I checked him.”
“You checked his body.”
Isabel pointed toward Gabriel's stuffed rabbit.
“You didn't check that.”
Gabriel looked down.
His rabbit.
The old toy he had carried for years.
Mariana took it from him.
She turned it over.
A tiny black device was sewn into the fabric.
Julián ripped it out.
A red light blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Then stopped.
Everyone stared.
“They know we're here.”
A vehicle engine roared outside.
Julián moved toward the door.
“We need to leave.”
Isabel shook her head.
“There's nowhere to run.”
“There is always somewhere.”
“No.”
She grabbed his arm.
“You don't understand who is coming.”
“Then tell me.”
Isabel looked at him.
“Your father.”
Julián froze.
The farmhouse became silent.
“You said he disappeared.”
“He did.”
“Where is he?”
Isabel's eyes filled with fear.
“He's outside.”
A vehicle door slammed.
Then another.
Mariana looked at the ceiling.
Footsteps approached from above.
Gabriel held her hand.
“Mom?”
“I'm here.”
“I'm scared.”
“So am I.”
Julián moved toward the entrance.
Isabel blocked him.
“Don't go out.”
“Why?”
“Because he wants you to.”
“Who?”
She whispered,
“Your father.”
Julián stared at her.
“If he's alive, I'm going to face him.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because he isn't alone.”
The lights went out.
Darkness filled the safe house.
Someone outside shouted.
“Isabel!”
She covered her mouth.
Mariana recognized the voice.
She had heard it before.
In the old recording.
In the hallway.
In the nightmare that had haunted her since childhood.
Her father's voice.
“Bring me the children.”
Julián raised his weapon.
“No.”
The voice laughed.
“You still think this is about Gabriel.”
Mariana's blood went cold.
“What do you want?”
The answer came through the door.
“You.”
She stepped back.
“Why?”
“Because you were never supposed to survive the birth.”
Mariana felt the world tilt.
Isabel whispered,
“Mariana, don't listen.”
Her father's voice continued.
“Your mother lied to you.”
Mariana looked at Isabel.
“About what?”
Silence.
Her mother couldn't meet her eyes.
Mariana's chest tightened.
“Mom?”
Isabel finally spoke.
“I didn't give birth to you.”
Mariana froze.
Julián stared at her.
“What?”
Isabel began crying.
“You were adopted.”
The words seemed impossible.
Mariana shook her head.
“No.”
“You were born to another woman.”
“Who?”
Isabel couldn't answer.
Julián stepped toward her.
“Who is Mariana's biological mother?”
Isabel looked at the floor.
Then toward the shadow beyond the door.
The person outside spoke.
“I can tell you.”
The door handle slowly turned.
Mariana grabbed Gabriel.
Julián stepped in front of them.
Isabel backed away.
May you like
And when the door opened, the first person Mariana saw was not her father...
but Rocío.
