Chapter 11ALEJANDRO returned home and found his Mommy Felecia preparing their dinner. The aroma of the food quickly went to his nostrils and it made him calm a bit. "Hey, mom? What are you cooking this time?" he asked, making his voice a little lovely despite what happened to him. Felecia turned her head and glanced at him with a sweet smile. "Of course! What else should I cook? It's your favorite." "Oh, a chicken casserole," he confirmed. "Yes. Come on. Sit down. This will be ready in a minute," Felecia said, smiling at him. Alejandro just nodded and pulled a chair to sit down. While waiting, he rubbed both his palms at each other. He suddenly feels so cold. Felecia then suddenly noticed his discomfort. "Are you okay, son?" Felecia asked in a worried tone. Alejandro tilted his head, looking at his mother who still looked beautiful even if her gray hair almost covered her black hair. "Hmm? I'm okay mom. Just a little bit tired," he said with a raw smile. Felecia gave him food

Chapter 13"Who is she? Why are you stopping her from coming out?” His father's face turned pale again and droplets of sweat dripped from his forehead. "She’s my client, son. And I don’t know her personally because we just met just today. Why?” Alejandro smirked and couldn't even hide how disgusted he was while looking at his father. "Are you sure you only just knew each other today? So why are you driving her? Is this her car?” He asked one after another. His father turned paler and seemed to struggle to answer him. “Y-you know what son. I am really in a hurry. Can we just talk some other time? We’re gonna be late in our meeting,” his father said, almost stuttering."Is my question really that difficult for you to answer right at this moment? Why can't you answer me right away? Dad?” His father shaked his head, trying to deny it again."N-not like that son. It's just so private. Can people talk on another day? I promise I will meet you and explain everything.” He cocked his head.

Chapter 15Alejandro spent his first few nights on the run in a series of anonymous, low-budget motels scattered across the outskirts of the city. The rooms were small and dimly lit, reeking of stale cigarettes and moldy carpets. Sleep eluded him, as anxiety and fear consumed his thoughts. Every time a car pulled into the parking lot or a door slammed nearby, he tensed, expecting the authorities to burst in.He kept the television volume low, scanning every news report and headline, hoping for a glimmer of truth to emerge. But the media had painted a damning picture of him. "Trusted Executive Turns Criminal Mastermind," one headline read. "Millions Missing: Alejandro Garcia at the Center of Scandal," blared another. Reporters rehashed the same narrative: he had orchestrated a sophisticated embezzlement scheme, betrayed the company, and vanished without a trace. His photo was everywhere—on television, online, plastered across newspapers. The man who had once commanded respect was now a

Chapter 17The first snow of the season dusted the rooftops and blanketed the sleepy streets of the town in white. Alejandro stood by the window of his apartment, the same one above the hardware store, watching the flurries fall like ash. His breath fogged up the glass, and he drew a small “A” with his fingertip before wiping it away.In his lap lay the notebook he’d been filling for weeks—evidence, timelines, scribbled theories. But today, something felt different. The pieces were beginning to fit. The audio files from the USB drive had confirmed Helena and Diego’s scheme, but Jero had gone further.That morning, Jero had called with urgency.“I’ve found a name,” he said. “Someone who helped set up the offshore accounts. A fixer. Real ghost-type. Name's Lorenzo Fenix.”Alejandro’s pulse quickened. “Does he work for them?”“He did. But word is, Diego burned him recently. Cut him out of a deal, left him hanging. Fenix isn’t loyal to anyone now.”Alejandro gripped the phone tighter. “Ca

Chapter 19INSIDE the car, silence settled between him and Jero.Jero’s voice was low but urgent. “We need to find out how they did this. Who planted the fake files? Helena’s always been ruthless, but this... this is something else.” “Could it be Lorenzo!? Or Marina!?” Jero added.“I think it's Marina. Lorenzo will not betray us.”“Fuck that bitch!” Jero cursed.Alejandro closed his eyes. He felt hollowed out— betrayed not just by Helena and Diego, but by the system that had swallowed him whole without a second thought.How did he not see this coming?AT THE station, Alejandro was booked, fingerprinted, and thrown into a holding cell. The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, harsh and unforgiving. He sat on the hard bench, the cold metal of the handcuffs biting into his wrists.Time stretched, slow and cruel.News of his arrest exploded across social media and news channels. Reporters hailed it as the final chapter in a long saga of corporate greed and criminal deceit.Alejandro’s pho