Chapter 3 - The Shadow of the Traitor
"Señora Carmen told you this wing was off-limits," Hector said, his voice a low, threatening rumble. He stepped into the room, the heavy doors clicking shut behind him.
Sofia discreetly slid the crayon drawing behind the silver jewelry box, keeping her face perfectly blank.
"I was just looking for extra blankets for Leo," Sofia lied smoothly, fighting the tremor in her hands.
Hector smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "You’ve made quite the impression on the boss, Sofia. But you need to understand how things work in this world. People who pry into the past... they have a habit of not having a future."
He took another step closer, looming over her. "Take your brother's surgery. Take your paycheck. Keep the brat quiet. But if you start snooping where you don't belong, I will personally see to it that you and your brother disappear. Do we understand each other?"
"Perfectly," Sofia said, her voice tight.
Hector stepped aside, allowing her to pass. Sofia walked out with her head held high, but the moment she was back in her own suite, she collapsed against the door, gasping for air.
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The pieces were snapping together with horrifying clarity. Leo wasn't just traumatized by the ambush. He had seen the man who orchestrated it. He had seen Hector signal the hitmen. The boy's violent rage wasn't just grief; it was pure, unadulterated terror because the man who murdered his mother was still sleeping under the same roof.
She had to tell Dante. But who would the cartel boss believe? His most trusted lieutenant of ten years, or a maid he had hired a week ago?
