CHAPTER 5

The sun had not even fully climbed over the stone walls of the Alarcón mansion when my mother’s voice ripped through my sleep. I sat up on my thin cot, my muscles aching from the long hours at the club. I reached over and touched the old, dusty coat hanging on the nail. Inside the lining, my money was safe. I could feel the thick stack of bills. It was a lot, but I needed more. I needed enough to change my life forever.

"Get up, Valeria! The laundry does not wash itself!" my mother shouted, banging a metal pot against the doorframe.

I stood up and pulled on my faded maid’s uniform. My mind was already making a plan. "Mamá," I said, looking her in the eye. "There is a free study class in the village for two days. They are teaching about the law. I need to go. It will help me get that degree in the US."

My mother stopped scrubbing the table. She looked at me like I was crazy. "We are broke, Valeria. You are a maid. Why do you keep dreaming?"

"Please, Mamá. Just two days. I will work twice as hard when I come back. I promise. ¡Por favor!"

She grumbled and splashed more water on the table, but she finally nodded. "Go. If the boss asks, I will say you have a fever. But don't make me regret this."

"Thank you, Mamá."

I didn't pack a big bag because I didn't want to look suspicious. I just grabbed my small purse and snuck out the back gate. I walked fast down the dusty road, my heart beating with excitement. I reached the bus stop and sat on the hard plastic bench. When the old blue bus arrived, it smelled like diesel and old seats. I paid my coins and sat by the window, watching the mansion get smaller and smaller in the distance.

I pulled out my phone and dialed the club. "Hello? Boss? This is Luna," I said, keeping my voice low. "I am coming in. I want to work the next two nights straight. I want every shift you have. If there are VIPs, put me in their rooms. I need to finish my savings."

"No problem, Luna," the boss said. "The men always ask for the girl in the silver mask anyway. See you at eight."

I spent the day at a small, cheap hostel near the club, resting my body. I ate a piece of bread and drank some water, thinking about the future. I was twenty-three years old, and I was so close to my dream. I just needed these last two nights to be big.

Back at the mansion, the heavy iron gates were swinging open.

A massive black car, shiny and expensive, pulled up the long driveway. The engine made a deep, powerful sound that shook the windows of the house. The car stopped right in front of the main steps.

The door opened, and a pair of expensive leather shoes hit the gravel. Crunch. Crunch. Mateo Alarcón stepped out of the car. He was twenty-seven now. He was tall, broad-shouldered, and looked like a man who owned the world. He adjusted his silk tie and looked up at the house. His face was cold. He didn't look like the boy from the garden. He looked mean. He looked like a boss who didn't care about anyone's feelings.

"Welcome home, Mateo," his father said, walking down the steps to meet him. "¡Bienvenido, hijo!"