Chapter 1 - The Lockdown
Mateo Delgado did not blink as the heavy mahogany doors were bolted shut by his guards.
The click of the locks echoed like a gunshot in the silent, paralyzed restaurant.
Elena Vargas remained on the floor, holding the trembling little girl tightly against her chest.
Isabella buried her face into Elena’s apron, her small fingers gripping the fabric as if her life depended on it.
The severe woman in the charcoal suit, whose name was Valeria, stepped forward with a face pale as a ghost.
"Mateo, this is absurd," Valeria hissed, her voice trembling with panic.
"Have the guards remove this crazy waitress immediately."
Mateo slowly turned his head to look at his older sister, Valeria.
His dark eyes were completely void of emotion, yet they radiated a terrifying, lethal heat.
"Shut up, Valeria," he commanded, his voice barely above a dangerous whisper.
He walked slowly toward Elena, his expensive leather shoes making no sound on the thick carpet.
He crouched down until he was at eye level with the weeping woman holding his daughter.
"Explain what you just said," Mateo demanded.
"Tell me about the birthmark."
Elena swallowed hard, her heart hammering wildly against her ribs.
"Three years ago, I gave birth in a private clinic in Veracruz," she said, her voice shaking but incredibly defiant.
"The doctor told me my baby had died."
"But before they took her away in a blanket, I saw a crescent-shaped mark right below her right ear."
Mateo looked at Isabella, carefully brushing her dark hair aside to reveal that exact, undeniable mark.
His jaw clenched so hard a muscle twitched violently in his cheek.
He stood up and looked back at Valeria, who was now sweating profusely and stepping backward.
"My wife died giving birth to our stillborn child three years ago," Mateo said slowly, piecing the nightmare together.
"You were the one who handled all the hospital arrangements in Veracruz, Valeria."
"You brought Isabella to me a week later, claiming she was a surrogate baby you had arranged in secret to save me from grief."
Valeria shook her head frantically, her hands trembling in the air.
"Mateo, I did it for the family," she cried out, tears ruining her expensive makeup.
"I paid that doctor to find a healthy child so you wouldn't destroy yourself and the company!"
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Mateo’s eyes darkened into a storm of pure, unadulterated rage.
He had built a global empire on truth and power, only to realize his own home was built on a stolen child.
