Chapter 12: The Woman Behind the Door
Nobody spoke after Gabriel’s words.
The workshop felt frozen.
My father stared at the photograph.
“No.””
Gabriel looked at him.
“You heard the recording.””
“No.””
“You saw the picture.””
“No.””
My father’s voice became louder.
“She was an employee.””
Lucian looked at him.
“An employee who knew too much.””
I picked up the photograph.
My hands trembled.
Carolina.
The woman who threw me out of the dealership.
The woman who judged me.
The woman who acted like she had control over everything.
She had been connected to my family for years.
“How?””
I looked at my father.
“How could she be part of this?””
My father looked devastated.
“I don’t know.””
Gabriel laughed quietly.
“That’s your answer to everything.””
My father turned.
“Be careful.””
“Why?””
Gabriel stepped closer.
“Because every time you say you don’t know, someone else pays the price.””
The words were cruel.
But I couldn’t ignore them.
Because there was truth behind them.
My father had protected secrets.
And secrets had consequences.
I looked at Lucian.
“What do you know about Carolina?””
He hesitated.
That was enough.
“Tell me.””
Lucian sighed.
“She worked for the company years ago.””
“As what?””
“Assistant.””
“To who?””
His eyes moved toward my father.
“Adrian.””
My father looked away.
I felt my stomach drop.
“She worked directly with you?””
“Yes.””
“And Mom knew her?””
“Yes.””
“Then why was she running one of your dealerships?””
My father had no answer.
That frightened me more than anything.
The woman who humiliated me wasn’t random.
She was connected.
She was placed there.
My father grabbed the photograph.
“We need to talk to her.””
“No,” Gabriel said.
Everyone looked at him.
“She won’t tell you anything.””
“How do you know?””
“Because she already knows we found this.””
My father frowned.
“What?””
Gabriel pointed.
The back door of the workshop.
It was slightly open.
Nobody had noticed.
My father moved instantly.
“Stay behind me.””
But I followed.
Outside, there was nobody.
Only a small envelope placed on the ground.
My father picked it up.
The front had one word.
*Adrian.*
He opened it.
Inside was another photograph.
This time, recent.
A picture of me entering the old workshop.
Someone had been watching us.
Again.
My father’s face became cold.
“They’re here.””
A sound came from the road.
A car engine.
We turned.
A black sedan stopped outside.
The door opened.
And Carolina stepped out.
Nobody spoke.
She looked different.
No arrogance.
No confidence.
Just fear.
She walked toward us slowly.
“I need your help.””
My father stared at her.
“Why should we believe you?””
“Because I know who killed the truth.””
The words shocked everyone.
Carolina looked at me.
“Valeria…”
Her voice shook.
“I’m sorry.””
I didn’t answer.
She deserved my anger.
But the fear in her eyes was real.
“What happened?””
She looked at my father.
“Someone found out I kept the records.””
“What records?””
“The ones your mother wanted to expose.””
My father stepped forward.
“Where are they?””
Carolina swallowed.
“Hidden.””
“Where?””
She looked toward the old workshop.
“Here.””
Nobody moved.
Then she whispered:
“But there’s something you need to know.””
I stared at her.
“What?””
Carolina looked at me.
“The person who ordered your mother’s disappearance…”
She paused.
And tears appeared in her eyes.
“It wasn’t Marco.””
The air left my lungs.
My father went completely still.
“Then who?””
Carolina looked at him.
May you like
And said the one name nobody expected.
“Adrian’s own father.””
