Chapter 3 - WHAT HE FOUND THE NEXT MORNING
Ricardo came home at 7:12 the next morning.
I was already dressed.
Coffee sat untouched beside me.
Alejandra’s card lay on the table.
So did a copy of the house listing agreement.
Ricardo barely noticed either.
He went directly upstairs.
Two minutes later, I heard drawers opening.
Then the study door.
Then silence.
He came down holding his laptop.
“Did you change the investment password?”
“Yes.”
His forehead tightened.
“Why?”
“I wanted better security.”
“Don’t play games.”
He opened his banking application and tried something else.
Then he looked at me.
“What did you do?”
“To what?”
“The seven million.”
“They’re where they belong.”
His voice rose.
“I need access today.”
That was the sentence I had been waiting for.
“Why?”
“The company has obligations.”
“Your company.”
“We’re married.”
“So?”
He stared at me.
For years, that stare worked.
I would begin explaining.
Softening.
Negotiating against myself.
Not that morning.
He walked closer.
“You know suppliers are waiting.”
“Then pay them with company funds.”
“It’s temporary.”
“No.”
His face reddened.
“You have seven million sitting there doing nothing while I’m trying to protect everything we built.”
I pushed the listing agreement toward him.
His eyes dropped to it.
At first he didn’t understand.
Then he saw the property address.
Our house.
OWNER: MARIANA SALGADO.
PROPOSED SALE.
“What the hell is this?”
“My property.”
“You cannot sell our home.”
“I can sell my home.”
His chair scraped backward.
“This is because I worked late?”
“No.”
“Then what?”
I looked at him.
“Daniela looks healthy.”
Every bit of colour disappeared from his face.
May you like
He did not ask which Daniela.
That told me everything I needed to know.
