Chapter 7 - The Trap
Paulina Robles was not a woman who accepted defeat gracefully.
Watching Diego's live press conference on her massive television only fueled her burning, obsessive hatred.
Diego had stood bravely before hundreds of flashing cameras and proudly declared his love for Marisol.
He had officially named Valentina as his only child and primary heir to the Villaseñor empire.
Paulina threw her crystal champagne flute at the screen, shattering the glass into a hundred sparkling pieces.
"They think they have won," Paulina muttered to herself, her eyes glowing with a dangerous, unhinged light.
"They think they can just throw me out like garbage and live happily ever after."
She knew that getting to Diego directly was impossible with his heavy security detail.
But she also knew that Marisol was still naive, still adjusting to her new life, and incredibly protective of her daughter.
Paulina picked up a burner phone she had purchased earlier that day and dialed a number.
She had hired a private investigator who had absolutely no moral compass.
"I need a distraction at the mansion," Paulina ordered the man coldly.
"Something big enough to pull the security team away from the back gardens."
The investigator agreed for a hefty sum, promising to stage a massive protest at the front gates within the hour.
Paulina slipped out of her penthouse, dressed in dark clothing and a wide-brimmed hat.
At the mansion, Marisol was walking through the rose garden with Valentina, enjoying the late afternoon sun.
Diego was still at the corporate office, handling the legal fallout of his massive public announcement.
Suddenly, loud shouting and the sound of breaking glass echoed from the front of the estate.
The two security guards assigned to watch the garden looked at each other nervously.
"Stay here with them," one guard told the other, sprinting toward the front gates to help control the chaos.
Marisol scooped Valentina into her arms, her maternal instincts screaming that something was very wrong.
"Let's go inside, sweetheart," Marisol whispered, turning quickly toward the glass patio doors.
Before she could take three steps, a figure stepped out from behind a tall stone fountain.
It was Paulina, clutching a heavy, silver candlestick she must have stolen from the patio dining set.
"Where do you think you are going, you little rat?" Paulina hissed, her face twisted in pure madness.
Marisol gasped, backing away slowly and holding Valentina tighter against her chest.
"Paulina, please, don't do this," Marisol begged, her heart pounding furiously.
The remaining security guard drew his weapon, yelling at Paulina to drop the heavy silver object.
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But Paulina didn't care about the gun; she cared only about destroying the woman who took her perfect life.
With a wild, terrifying scream, Paulina lunged directly toward Marisol and the terrified little girl.
