Chapter 164: Message Received

Maribel had spent most of her shift wondering whether seeing Elias had been a coincidence.

Logically, it had to be.

He’d walked into the convenience store carrying nothing, picked up a sandwich and a bottle of water, then joined the line like any other customer. The surprise on his face when he recognized her had looked genuine.

Elias hadn’t known she worked there.

More importantly, he hadn’t known what he was supposed to ask her about.

That should’ve reassured her.

It didn’t.

By the time Maribel finished her shift, she’d already replayed their short conversation so many times she regretted saying anything at all.

She should’ve processed his purchase, handed him his change, and let him leave.

Instead, she’d panicked.

Victoria doesn’t believe me.

What a stupid thing to say.

Elias had immediately wanted to know what Victoria thought she’d told him, and Maribel had been forced to walk away before she accidentally made things worse.

She hadn’t told him anything.

That much remained true.

During the eighteen years she’d worked for Victoria Sebastian, Maribel had learned things simply by being around. She’d overheard conversations she wasn’t supposed to hear and witnessed decisions never meant to involve household employees.

But she’d kept those things to herself.

Even after leaving Victoria.

Even after separating from Elias.

When Victoria found her and demanded to know whether she’d ever told anyone what happened years ago, Maribel answered truthfully.

No.

She hadn’t.

In the end, Victoria believed her.

Maribel wanted to believe that should’ve been enough.

She reached her rented apartment sometime after midnight and immediately noticed something on the floor.

Someone had pushed an envelope beneath her door.

Maribel stopped.

For several seconds, she didn’t move.

No name was written on it.

No address either.

Someone had brought it here personally.

Her first instinct was to leave it alone.

Her second was considerably less sensible.

Maribel picked it up.

The envelope wasn’t sealed.

Inside was a single photograph.

She pulled it out and froze.

"Domingo?"

Her cousin stared back at her.

At first glance, nothing seemed wrong with him. There was no blood on his face and no obvious injury she could see.

But Maribel knew Domingo.

And she knew fear when she saw it.

His eyes were wide, his face unnaturally pale. Even through a photograph, there was no mistaking the expression of a man who’d recently discovered exactly how frightened he could become.

Maribel’s fingers tightened around the picture.

"What happened to you?"

She turned it over.

Only four words were written on the back.

SHUT UP, OR ELSE.

Maribel stopped breathing for a moment.

She looked toward the door.

Then the window.

The curtains were closed.

Had they been closed when she’d left that morning?

Yes.

She thought so.

Maribel quickly crossed the room and checked the lock. It was still secured.

That didn’t make her feel any safer.

Whoever had delivered the photograph knew where she lived.

And whoever had taken it had access to Domingo.

Maribel stared at the picture again.

She didn’t need Victoria Sebastian’s name written anywhere on the envelope to understand what the warning was about.

Only one secret connected the three of them.

And that happened years ago.

Maribel sat heavily on the edge of her bed.

She hadn’t told Elias.

She hadn’t told anyone.

Apparently, that no longer mattered.

Maybe Victoria had seen Elias enter the store.

Maybe someone else had.

Maribel didn’t know, and she had no intention of staying long enough to find out.

She stood.

That was it.

For years, she’d convinced herself that keeping quiet was enough. She’d left Victoria’s employment, ended her relationship with Elias, and tried to build a life that had nothing to do with the Sebastian family anymore.

She was tired of looking over her shoulder.

Maribel pulled a travel bag from the closet.

She packed quickly, taking only what she could reasonably carry. She put clothes in first, then her documents and whatever cash she had in the apartment.

Her eyes landed on the photograph again.

She hesitated.

Then she slipped it between two pieces of clothing and zipped the bag shut.

She wasn’t leaving that behind.

If someone was threatening her into silence, Maribel wanted to keep the threat.

Just in case.

Victoria slept particularly well that night.

She’d worried enough about Domingo Ortega.

The man had become greedy with age, apparently forgetting that blackmail only worked while the person being blackmailed remained more afraid than the blackmailer.

Victoria had simply corrected that misunderstanding.

She hadn’t asked for details.

She hadn’t wanted any.

All she’d required was for Domingo to understand that continuing to demand money from her was no longer his safest option.

The photograph she’d received afterward had been sufficient proof that the message had gotten through.

No bruises.

No blood.

Nothing visible that could become inconvenient later.

Just fear.

That had been enough for Victoria.

More than enough, actually.

Which was why she’d found another use for the photograph.

Maribel had told her she hadn’t spoken to anyone about the accident.

Victoria believed her.

At least she’d believed Maribel when she said it.

That didn’t mean Victoria had to trust what Maribel might do tomorrow.

Especially after Elias Navarro had somehow walked into the exact convenience store where Maribel worked.

Victoria didn’t believe in coincidences when they involved secrets that could ruin lives.

So she’d sent a reminder through the investigator.

Nothing more.

Maribel was an intelligent woman.

She would understand.

Maribel left her apartment before sunrise.

The city was barely awake when she reached the post office.

She placed the convenience store key inside an envelope addressed to the owner and included a short note.

Sorry. I can’t stay.

It wasn’t professional.

It wasn’t fair to the owner either.

But Maribel had far bigger concerns than whether she’d ever get a good employment reference from a convenience store.

By the time her replacement was called in later that morning, Maribel was already on a bus leaving the city.

She sat by the window, her travel bag held close.

This was the city where she’d spent years with Elias.

There had been a time when she’d imagined growing old here with him.

That hadn’t happened.

Maybe leaving was overdue.

Maribel looked down at the bag on her lap.

Somewhere between her clothes was a photograph of a terrified Domingo and a threat that had finally convinced her of something she’d refused to accept before.

Silence wasn’t protecting her anymore.

It was only making her easier to frighten.

Her phone vibrated.

Maribel stiffened.

For a moment, she considered ignoring it.

Then she looked at the screen.

Domingo.

Her thumb hovered over the answer button.

After several seconds, she accepted the call.

"Hello?"

Nothing.

"Domingo?"

She heard breathing.

Then her cousin finally spoke.

"Maribel."

His voice sounded wrong.

Maribel gripped the phone tighter.

"What happened to you?"

A pause.

"Did she send you the picture?"

Maribel went completely still.

"How do you know about that?"

Another silence followed.

Then Domingo said something that made the blood drain from her face.

"Because that wasn’t the only picture they took."