CHAPTER 1: The Monster Behind the Smile
Alejandro's hand stopped inches away from Vivian.
The entire mansion fell silent.
Everyone expected anger.
Everyone expected revenge.
But what happened next shocked them all.
Instead of grabbing Vivian, Alejandro slowly turned toward the servants standing frozen near the walls.
“Tell me the truth.”
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
“How long has my wife been treated like this?”
Nobody answered.
The servants lowered their heads.
They were terrified.
Vivian had spent years making sure nobody dared to speak against her.
But then an old housekeeper named Maria stepped forward.
Her hands trembled as she held a small towel.
“Three years, sir…”
Alejandro's eyes darkened.
“Three years?”
Maria nodded, tears forming in her eyes.
“Mrs. Elena arrived here after the accident. She had lost her memory for several weeks. Vivian told everyone you had abandoned her. She said Elena was unstable and dangerous.”
Alejandro felt his chest tighten.
“What accident?”
Maria looked down.
“The car crash.”
The room became colder.
Alejandro remembered that night.
Three years ago.
The night Elena disappeared.
He had received a message saying she had left him willingly.
A message he now realized was fake.
Maria continued.
“Vivian found Mrs. Elena on the side of the road. She brought her here instead of taking her to the hospital.”
Alejandro's fists clenched.
“Why?”
Maria swallowed.
“Because she wanted your life.”
Everyone looked shocked.
Alejandro stared at Vivian.
For the first time, Vivian looked small.
Afraid.
“You were jealous of my wife.”
Vivian forced a laugh.
“Don't be ridiculous. Elena was weak. She couldn't handle your world.”
“No.”
Alejandro stepped closer.
“You couldn't handle the fact that she was loved.”
Vivian's face twisted.
The mask she had worn for years began to crack.
“You have no idea what I sacrificed!”
Her voice suddenly became desperate.
“I stood beside you when Elena disappeared! I helped you search! I comforted you!”
Alejandro looked at her with disgust.
“You pretended to help me find the woman you were hiding.”
Vivian said nothing.
Because it was true.
Alejandro turned back toward Elena.
But Elena was still standing near the floor, shaking.
He walked toward her slowly.
Not like a powerful businessman.
Not like a man seeking revenge.
But like a husband who had finally found the woman he thought he lost forever.
“Elena…”
She looked away.
“I thought you were dead.”
Her voice broke.
“I waited every day for you.”
Alejandro's eyes filled with pain.
“I searched everywhere.”
A tear slipped down Elena's face.
“But not here.”
Those three words destroyed him.
Because she was right.
The one place he never searched was his own home.
The place where Vivian had hidden her.
Alejandro removed his expensive jacket and placed it around Elena's shoulders.
“You don't have to be afraid anymore.”
For the first time in three years…
Elena believed those words.
But Vivian wasn't finished.
As security officers entered the mansion, she smiled faintly.
Because she still had one secret.
A secret that could destroy everything.
“You think you won?”
Vivian whispered.
“You still don't know why Elena disappeared.”
Alejandro froze.
“What did you say?”
Vivian smiled.
“Ask your wife what happened the night she vanished.”
Elena's face immediately changed.
Fear returned to her eyes.
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And Alejandro realized…
There was a part of the story even Elena had been hiding.
