Alone inside the huge and increasingly lonely house, the businessman Maximilian Philips, lying on the floor with a bottle of whiskey beside him, looks up at the ceiling.The chandelier is radiant, imposing, and in itself already demonstrates a luxury that the man had once made a point of boasting.But now, what was it but a handful of cut glass with light bulbs inside?Max takes another sip of whiskey.The new maid, Lanis, knocks twice on the door before entering;"Mr. Philips, you have a visitor."Send them away," he retorts. His voice is pasty from excessive alcohol consumption."But, Mister Phillips, it's a-""I've already sent away!""Yes, sir."Of course, after the divorce, women in love with him, who had always desired him and sighed when he passed through the halls, would go after him like bees go for honey.But Maximilian wanted none of them.The drone had lost its queen bee. And worse: because of his own malfeasance.Staggering, Max stood up and took six long sips from the bo

To Isabella Philips' eternal luck, the dark and sophisticated clothes, the black gloves, and the wreathed hat that covered a good part of her eyes, hid the true expression that sometimes stubbornly appeared on her face: a smile of triumph.Around him were many people. Most were Mariana's former acquaintances and relatives. Her mother, a woman Isabella had always thought was weak and rather lame, had passed out and never returned. "Careful, Mama," a man whispered in her ear. She immediately recognized Maxwell's voice. "Remember that we are saddened and terribly shocked by the sudden loss of our poor Mariana.""You never fail to notice anything, do you?""I believe that is one of my greatest gifts."Maximilian's brother also has trouble keeping a sad expression, but of course he would never admit that. The coffin is closed in the center of the huge chamber, and partially closed blue curtains are around it, where the funeral was taking place. From there, they would go directly to the lo

Isabella is less than six steps away from James' mother, who is still raging and spouting barbarities about Maxmilian to the others present, when she feels someone tugging on her arm."Have you gone mad?", Maxwell practically growls in her ear, failing miserably to keep his facial features neutral.The man's mother lets go, also enraged."What do you think you're doing?""Funny, I could ask you the same damn question."I'm taking action about this outrage, of course! If that woman keeps talking, we could be in trouble.""Forget that old woman, we have worse things to deal with," Maxwell says, his eyes startled.Isabella immediately becomes worried."What happened?" she asks, looking away before adding, "Are Elena and Hector giving us trouble?""No. Maxmilian just entered the restricted area of the hall.""What?""He just went through the curtains, Mama."Exasperated, the woman takes a step toward the scene, but stops and talks back to Maxwell:"The coffin is closed, we don't have to w

A week had passed since the doctor's appointment, the same one where Mariana decided she would not remain unmoved by the facts. Now she and James found themselves at a crossroads, trying to balance the protection of their secret and the search for answers. Nervous, James was aware that his "mistress" was planning something risky. He felt the weight of responsibility on his shoulders, but he also understood Mariana's need for information about Maxmilian.That afternoon, Mariana sat in front of her laptop, discreetly researching private detectives in the area. She knew she needed to find someone reliable, discreet, and capable of uncovering the truth without arousing suspicion.After hours of meticulous research, Mariana found a name that looked promising: Daniel Reynolds, a renowned private detective known for his ability to solve complex cases."So, what do you think?" asks Mariana, showing James the investigator's profile."Have you checked his credentials?""Yes. They're great. He'

The conversation with the two law enforcement officers was, at best, tiresome. At worst, horrible.The two policemen were about the same size, age, and build. The expression on their faces was not the best either. It was evident that they were treating the couple with a certain disregard.James also noticed that they didn't act like normal policemen. With each passing minute, his suspicion grew.When after ten measly minutes the cops started walking back to their vehicle, the man walked up to them."Wait."One of the men turns to him, and the other continues walking to the car as if he had not even heard anything."My mistress and I are very scared. Is there absolutely nothing they can do? You won't even take us to the police station to file a report?"The policeman spits out the gum he was chewing before smiling at James, but there was sarcasm present in his expression."Listen here, butler. I don't think you understand the gravity of your situation yet."Before James can ask anythin