Chapter Four

Inés didn’t remember running. Only the pounding of her heart, the burning in her lungs, the sting of smoke clinging to her eyes and clothes. Her bare feet slapped against the polished marble as she fled down the corridor, clutching the folder to her chest like a lifeline.

Somewhere behind her, a fire raged.

Somewhere behind her, someone had screamed.

She didn’t look back.

The hallway twisted like a labyrinth. Flames hadn’t reached this part of the mansion, but the acrid smoke curled under doors, spilling from vents. Her chest tightened. Her family had died like this; fire, screams, smoke.

Déjà vu.

A sharp pain cut through her foot. Glass. She winced, staggered, but didn’t stop.

Footsteps echoed behind her.

Not many. Just one. Slow. Measured. Deliberate.

“Inés,” a voice called, familiar and soft.

Alonso.

Or so she thought.

She ducked into a side room—dark, silent—and pressed her back to the wall, struggling to steady her breathing.

“Inés,” he said again, closer now. "You're hurt."

She didn’t respond. She didn’t trust her voice.

The door creaked open.

He stepped in slowly, his silhouette backlit by orange glow and shadows. Dressed in all black, his tie undone, the top buttons of his shirt open, revealing a sliver of collarbone. His eyes found hers instantly.

“There you are.”

“Don’t come closer,” she warned.

He paused. His brows furrowed, confused, maybe hurt. “What’s wrong?”

“The fire. The screaming. You….”

He took another step, and she raised the folder like a shield. He stopped again.

“I swear, I’m not here to hurt you.”

He took off his jacket and draped it on a nearby chair. “We need to get out of here.”

The flames hadn’t reached them yet, but the smoke was heavier now.

Inés hesitated, then nodded. “Okay. But first... tell me your real name.”

He stiffened.

She saw it then, clear as the flames licking down the hall.

“Alonso Delgado is dead,” she said. “Isn’t he?”

His jaw clenched. “That’s not true.”

“But you’re not him,” she said. “You're Esteban. Esteban Gallego.”

Silence stretched between them. The only sound was the crackling fire behind the wall.

He finally spoke. “How long have you known?”

Inés swallowed hard. “Since I found the black notebook in Thiago’s study. The one with the list of aliases. Delgado, crossed out. Gallego, underlined.”

Esteban, no longer pretending, stepped closer. “Then you know why I had to do it. Why I became him.”

“Why?” she asked. “To infiltrate the Delgados? To kill them from the inside?”

He didn’t deny it.

“And me?” she asked, her voice low. “Was I just another pawn?”

“No.” His voice cracked. “You were never supposed to be part of this.”

She stared at him, trying to make sense of everything. But her heart was pounding for a different reason now. He moved closer still, closing the distance. The smoke, the fire, the lies—none of it mattered when he looked at her like that.

His fingers brushed her cheek, slow and reverent.

“I tried to stay away from you,” he said.

“But you didn’t.”

Their lips met in a crash of heat and confusion, need and fury. Her hands tangled in his hair. His mouth was urgent, devouring, worshipping. The kiss deepened, wild and consuming, like the fire roaring through the mansion.

He pinned her against the wall, his hands exploring every inch of her with desperate intensity. She gasped as he kissed down her neck, her collarbone, pushing the fabric of her maid’s uniform aside like it offended him. Their breaths mingled in a haze of lust and smoke.

For a moment, she let herself forget everything, her family’s death, the lies, the danger.

But it came rushing back when the wall behind her vibrated with a blast from the hallway.

Esteban pulled away, panting. “We have to go. Now.”

She nodded, fumbling to fix her clothes, the heat of him still burning on her skin.

They raced down the corridor. At the end of the hallway, a hidden stairwell led them into a dim underground passage. The walls were lined with aged stone, the air cooler but thick with dampness.

“Where are we?” Inés asked.

“An old escape route. Delgado family secret. Only a few of us know it.”

Of course he would know it. Esteban had pretended to be Alonso for over 5 years.

They moved quickly through the tunnel, their footsteps echoing. She clutched the folder tighter. Its contents could destroy them all.

At the tunnel’s end, a metal grate opened into the woods behind the estate. Cold air hit her like a slap.

“Wait,” she said, turning to him. “What happens now?”

“I take you somewhere safe.”

“And then?”

He hesitated. “Then we figure out what to do with that.” He nodded to the folder.

“You mean what to do with the truth?”

A rustle in the trees made them both spin.

Inés’ breath caught.

Thiago stepped into view, gun in hand, expression unreadable.

Behind him, two more men flanked the shadows. One of them was Gabriel.

“Going somewhere?” Thiago asked coolly.

Esteban stepped forward. “This isn’t what it looks like.”

“Oh, I think it’s exactly what it looks like.” Thiago’s eyes narrowed. “Esteban Gallego.”

The gun cocked. Inés moved instinctively in front of Esteban.

“Don’t!” she shouted. “There’s more going on here than you think!”

“Step aside,” Thiago ordered.

“Not until you listen to me!”

Gabriel looked torn. His gaze shifted between Esteban and Inés. “Is it true?” he asked. “Is he really….?”

“Yes,” Esteban said. “But I never hurt any of you.”

“Not yet,” Thiago growled. “But you planned to.”

Esteban took a step forward. “You’re right. I did. But things changed. I changed.”

Another rustle in the trees.

Another presence.

Everyone froze.

From the darkness emerged someone none of them expected.

Alejandro Delgado.

Alive.

Bloodied. Bruised. But unmistakably him.

Thiago stared, speechless. Gabriel swore under his breath.

Esteban paled.

Inés’s knees weakened.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Alejandro rasped. His gaze landed on Esteban. “Nice to see you’ve been keeping my face warm.”

Esteban’s mask shattered.

Before anyone could speak, a sharp whistle pierced the air.

Gunfire erupted from the trees.

Chaos.

Inés screamed as Esteban shoved her down. Thiago returned fire. Gabriel pulled Alejandro behind a tree.

But Inés saw through the gunfire and the smoke, someone racing toward them with a blade.

Esteban.

No.

Not Esteban.

Another man, identical.

A third twin?

No. That wasn’t possible.

But the face… it was the same.

She opened her mouth to scream and everything went black….