Chapter 2: Beneath the Marble
The scream echoed through the darkness.
Not once.
Twice.
Then it was swallowed by silence.
For one frozen heartbeat, nobody inside Castillo Manor moved.
The crystal chandeliers had gone dark, leaving only brief flashes of lightning illuminating the vast marble foyer.
Alejandro's instincts took over.
"Nobody moves!" he barked.
His voice thundered louder than the storm outside.
The security guards hesitated.
Not because they hadn't heard him.
Because they were looking at Vivian Moretti.
Waiting for her command.
Alejandro saw it.
Every second of hesitation confirmed the terrible realization growing inside him.
His mansion no longer belonged to him.
Not in practice.
Vivian had built her own kingdom inside these walls.
Another flash of lightning lit the foyer.
Vivian's face remained unnervingly calm.
"Generator malfunction," she said smoothly.
"It happens during storms."
Alejandro didn't even look at her.
"Marcus."
His Bluetooth earpiece crackled.
"I'm here."
"Activate Protocol Black."
There was complete silence on the other end.
Only four people in the world knew what Protocol Black meant.
It had never been used.
Not once.
It existed only for one situation.
If Alejandro Castillo ever believed his own company—or his own life—had been compromised from the inside.
Marcus answered quietly.
"Understood."
"The board has been notified."
"The private security team is already airborne."
Estimated arrival?
"Twenty-three minutes."
Alejandro ended the call.
Vivian smiled faintly.
"You really think this is necessary?"
"No."
Alejandro replied without emotion.
"I think I'm already three years too late."
Emergency lights suddenly flickered to life.
The mansion glowed in a dim crimson hue.
The atmosphere changed instantly.
Instead of luxury...
The estate looked like a prison.
Alejandro slowly turned toward Elena.
She stood exactly where she had been.
Barefoot.
Hands shaking.
Eyes fixed on the floor.
She wasn't afraid of the darkness.
She was afraid of someone seeing her move.
Someone had trained her.
Conditioned her.
Broken her.
Alejandro took one careful step closer.
"You don't have to be afraid anymore."
She whispered without lifting her head.
"You don't understand."
"They're everywhere."
His chest tightened.
"They?"
Elena closed her eyes.
As if she regretted saying even that single word.
Suddenly—
The elderly butler approached.
His name was Samuel.
He had served the Castillo family for thirty-seven years.
Samuel stopped beside Alejandro.
His voice barely rose above a whisper.
"Sir."
"The east wine cellar."
"Go there."
Vivian immediately interrupted.
"Samuel."
The old man froze.
Her smile never disappeared.
"I don't remember asking for your opinion."
Samuel slowly lowered his head.
"My apologies."
But Alejandro had already noticed something.
Samuel's left hand.
It trembled.
Not from age.
From fear.
And hidden beneath his sleeve...
Alejandro caught sight of dried blood.
Someone had hurt him recently.
Vivian clapped softly.
"Everyone."
"Return to your duties."
Nobody moved.
She repeated herself.
Louder this time.
"Now."
The servants scattered instantly.
Not because Alejandro had ordered them.
Because Vivian had.
Alejandro watched every face.
Some looked terrified.
Some looked guilty.
Others...
Looked relieved to escape.
But one young maid glanced briefly toward Elena.
Only for half a second.
Then she disappeared into the kitchen.
Elena noticed it too.
For the first time...
Alejandro saw emotion in her eyes.
Hope.
Only for an instant.
Then it vanished.
"Emily."
Vivian spoke sweetly.
"You should apologize to Mr. Castillo."
Elena didn't answer.
Vivian's smile faded.
"I said..."
"Apologize."
Elena slowly began lowering herself onto her knees.
Alejandro's blood ran cold.
She did it automatically.
Without thinking.
Like breathing.
Before her knees touched the marble—
Alejandro caught her.
"No."
She looked confused.
Almost frightened.
"As if standing was something forbidden."
Vivian laughed.
"Poor thing."
"Old habits."
Alejandro looked directly at Vivian.
"What habits?"
Vivian shrugged.
"People from difficult backgrounds."
"They learn discipline."
Alejandro noticed something.
Elena's breathing had become uneven.
She wasn't reacting to his touch.
She was reacting to Vivian's voice.
Every word Vivian spoke made Elena flinch.
That wasn't coincidence.
That was trauma.
Marcus called again.
"We've accessed the financial servers."
Alejandro walked several steps away.
"What did you find?"
Marcus hesitated.
"You need to prepare yourself."
Alejandro said nothing.
Marcus continued.
"Vivian controls seventy-eight percent of the Castillo Foundation."
Alejandro frowned.
"Impossible."
"You never signed those transfers."
"I know."
"But someone did."
Silence.
Marcus continued.
"The signatures match yours."
Alejandro felt ice spread through his veins.
Forgery.
Professional forgery.
"What else?"
Marcus inhaled.
"Three directors disappeared after objecting."
"One died in a car accident."
"One resigned and vanished."
"The third..."
Marcus stopped.
"What?"
"Reported missing."
The exact same phrase.
Missing.
Like Elena.
Alejandro slowly turned.
Vivian was watching him.
Smiling.
She already knew.
She wasn't worried.
She expected him to discover everything.
Which meant...
She believed she had already won.
A loud metallic noise echoed beneath the mansion.
CLANG!
Elena gasped.
"No..."
Alejandro looked down.
"The basement."
Her lips turned pale.
"They're moving them."
His heartbeat accelerated.
"Who?"
She shook her head violently.
"I shouldn't have spoken."
"They'll hear."
"They always hear."
Without warning—
The young maid from earlier sprinted into the foyer.
She looked barely twenty.
Completely terrified.
"Mr. Castillo!"
Before she could continue—
A security guard grabbed her arm.
"Enough."
She struggled.
"No!"
"You have to know!"
"They're under the—"
Her words were cut off as another guard covered her mouth.
Alejandro exploded.
"LET HER GO!"
The guards didn't move.
They looked at Vivian.
Again.
Alejandro's voice became deadly calm.
"I gave an order."
"If you ignore it again..."
"I'll charge every one of you with conspiracy."
The guards finally released her.
The maid collapsed onto the floor, crying.
"My sister..."
"They took my sister..."
Alejandro knelt beside her.
"Who?"
She looked toward Vivian.
Then immediately looked away.
"I can't..."
"They'll kill my mother."
Alejandro gently handed her his phone.
"Call Marcus."
"Tell him everything."
She stared.
"I don't know him."
"You don't need to."
"He already knows you're telling the truth."
Vivian slowly descended the final staircase.
Click.
Click.
Click.
Her high heels echoed through the silent hall.
She stopped only a few feet away.
"This has gone far enough."
Alejandro looked into her eyes.
"No."
"It's only beginning."
She sighed dramatically.
"You still think Elena is your wife."
Alejandro answered immediately.
"She is."
Vivian smiled.
"Then ask her."
She turned toward Elena.
"Tell him."
"Tell Mr. Castillo who you are."
Elena stood frozen.
Vivian's voice hardened.
"Answer."
Tears formed in Elena's eyes.
"My..."
She swallowed painfully.
"My name..."
Alejandro held his breath.
"...is Emily."
Vivian smiled triumphantly.
"You see?"
Alejandro slowly walked toward Elena.
He gently reached for her trembling hand.
Then he noticed something.
A small scar beneath her wedding finger.
Exactly where her wedding ring had rested for years.
The skin around it remained lighter than the rest of her hand.
Even after three years.
He whispered softly.
"What did I engrave inside your wedding ring?"
Elena stared blankly.
Nothing.
Vivian laughed.
"She doesn't remember."
Alejandro nodded.
"I know."
Then he spoke four words.
Words no one else could possibly understand.
"You hated rainy Tuesdays."
Elena froze.
Her breathing stopped.
A single tear rolled down her cheek.
Fragments.
Tiny broken pieces of memory.
A kitchen.
A yellow umbrella.
Alejandro laughing.
Burned pancakes.
A wedding ring.
Then—
A violent headache struck.
She screamed and collapsed into Alejandro's arms.
At that exact moment...
A hidden speaker somewhere inside the mansion crackled to life.
A distorted male voice echoed through every hallway.
"Subject E-17 has begun memory recovery."
"Initiate containment protocol immediately."
Alejandro slowly lifted his head.
His expression changed.
He no longer looked like a grieving husband.
May you like
He looked like a man preparing for war.
End of Chapter 2
