Chapter 1 — The Birthday Trap
The room remained frozen.
Even the birthday candles had burned down to pools of wax.
The two investigators walked directly toward the recycling cabinet.
"Mrs. Salgado," one of them said calmly to Ofelia.
"Please step away from the bag."
"I don't know what you're talking about," she snapped.
The forensic examiner pulled on fresh gloves and carefully removed the black trash bag.
Inside were torn banking envelopes.
Property deeds.
Loan applications.
And three pages bearing Valeria's forged signature.
Ernesto quietly looked at his daughter.
"You recognized the documents."
Valeria nodded.
"I watched her hide them last night."
Julián laughed loudly.
"This proves nothing."
Ernesto reached into his jacket and placed a digital voice recorder on the dining table.
"It proves more than you think."
He pressed play.
The room filled with Julián's own voice from only minutes earlier.
"I gave her an early birthday present—a slap instead of congratulations."
No one spoke.
Every guest had heard it once.
Now it was evidence.
The domestic violence advocate quietly stepped beside Valeria.
"You're safe now."
May you like
For the first time in nearly a year...
Valeria believed those words.
