Chapter 6 - THE NANNY WHO NEVER QUIT
Lucía Serrano lived forty minutes outside Marbella.
At least that was what her employment file said.
When Adrian sent someone to the address, they found an empty apartment.
Rent unpaid.
Mail overflowing.
No Lucía.
But she had sent the anonymous messages.
That meant she was alive.
And watching.
I texted the unknown number.
I FOUND THE ENVELOPE.
Nothing happened.
Ten minutes passed.
Then twenty.
Finally, a reply.
DON’T CALL.
I typed.
ISABELLA IS SAFE WITH ME.
Three dots appeared.
Then vanished.
Then appeared again.
MEET ME ALONE.
Adrian shook his head when I showed him.
“Absolutely not.”
“I’m going.”
“Mateo.”
“She protected my daughter when I didn’t even know she needed protection.”
“You don’t know that.”
“No.”
I looked toward the stairs.
“But I’m going to find out.”
The meeting place was a small chapel near Istán.
Lucía was sitting in the back row when I arrived.
She looked thinner than I remembered.
Tired.
Afraid.
When she saw me, she started crying.
“I’m sorry.”
I sat beside her.
“For what?”
“For leaving Isabella.”
“You didn’t leave.”
She covered her face.
“I did.”
“No.”
“You were threatened.”
Lucía lowered her hands.
“You don’t understand.”
“Then help me.”
For several seconds, she stared at the altar.
Then she spoke.
It began small.
Extra chores.
Harsh rules.
Food withheld as punishment.
Beatriz told Lucía that Isabella was spoiled and needed structure.
Lucía disagreed.
That was when Beatriz began isolating her.
“She said you complained about me.”
Lucía looked at me.
“She said you thought I was too emotionally attached to Isabella.”
“I never said that.”
“I know now.”
Lucía swallowed.
“Then one night I heard her talking to Alejandro.”
My hands tightened.
“What did they say?”
“That the trust wouldn’t matter unless Beatriz became Isabella’s legal guardian.”
She looked at me.
“And that legal guardianship wouldn’t matter unless something happened to you.”
A chill moved through me.
“What exactly did Alejandro say?”
Lucía closed her eyes.
“He said Dubai was dangerous enough that nobody would ask questions.”
I didn’t speak.
“She saw me listening.”
Lucía continued.
“The next morning, Beatriz accused me of stealing jewelry.”
“She said she would call the police.”
“Why didn’t you call me?”
“I tried.”
She reached into her bag.
“My phone was taken.”
She showed me photographs of bruises on her wrist.
“I left.”
“Then why come back?”
“Because Isabella was still there.”
Lucía looked at me.
“And because I found out they were paying someone at your company in Dubai.”
My heart stopped.
“Who?”
“I don’t know.”
She opened her bag again.
This time she removed a flash drive.
“But whatever they were planning.”
May you like
She placed it in my hand.
“It was supposed to happen tomorrow.”
