Chapter 5 - WHAT THE CAMERA SAW

I watched the video once.

Only once.

That was enough.

Camila was crying because she had dropped a cup of milk.

Carmen grabbed her arm.

“You’re impossible.”

Camila whimpered.

“I’m sorry.”

Daniel walked into the room.

He saw everything.

He saw his mother yank our daughter hard enough to make her stumble.

And he said,

“Put her outside until she calms down.”

My mouth went dry.

Carmen opened the balcony door.

Camila begged.

“No, Grandma. Please.”

Daniel picked up his phone.

He didn’t even look at her.

“Go.”

She went.

The door closed.

Locked.

Then Daniel sat on the sofa and started scrolling.

The video continued for forty-three minutes.

Forty-three.

Camila knocked on the glass seven times.

No one opened it.

When the recording ended, I walked into the bathroom and threw up.

Laura waited outside.

When I came back, she handed me water.

“You don’t have to watch the rest.”

“There’s more?”

“Yes.”

“How much?”

“Several recordings.”

I closed my eyes.

“Give them to the court.”

“We will.”

“Give them to the police if they’re relevant.”

“We will.”

“Give them to whoever needs to see who he really is.”

Laura studied me.

“Do not send them online.”

“I wasn’t planning to.”

“Good.”

“I don’t want revenge.”

She raised an eyebrow.

I corrected myself.

“I want consequences.”

“That’s different.”

By morning, Daniel had been served with the emergency custody petition.

By noon, a temporary order prevented Carmen from being alone with Camila.

By three, Daniel showed up at my office.

Security called me downstairs.

“He says he won’t leave.”

“Call the police if he refuses.”

Then I changed my mind.

“Actually, I’ll come down.”

He was standing in the lobby wearing the same navy suit he had worn when he proposed to me.

That detail almost made me laugh.

“Mariana.”

“You have two minutes.”

“You went to court?”

“Yes.”

“You’re trying to take my daughter.”

“You referred to her as leverage.”

His face drained.

“Where did you hear that?”

“Wrong question.”

He stepped closer.

“That was a private conversation.”

“So you admit it?”

“I was angry.”

“At who?”

“You.”

“So you threatened to use a three-year-old against me?”

He looked around.

“Can we go somewhere private?”

“No.”

“Please.”

“No.”

His voice dropped.

“My mother went too far.”

I stared at him.

“You told her to lock Camila outside.”

His mouth opened.

Nothing came out.

“I saw the video.”

That destroyed him.

For the first time since I had known Daniel, he had no excuse ready.

Then he whispered,

“Mariana, I can explain.”

“No, you can’t.”

“I was under pressure.”

“You were sitting on a sofa.”

“My business was failing.”

“My daughter was begging to come inside.”

“I made a mistake.”

“You made it repeatedly.”

His eyes hardened.

“There are things you don’t understand.”

“Such as?”

“The money.”

“You stole 1.8 million pesos.”

His expression changed again.

Not shame.

Panic.

“Laura told you that?”

“We found DVA.”

He grabbed my wrist.

“Listen to me.”

Security moved immediately.

I pulled free.

“Touch me again and you leave in handcuffs.”

He lowered his hand.

Then he leaned close enough that only I could hear.

“You don’t know who Rodrigo is.”

I held his gaze.

“Should I?”

Daniel swallowed.

“If you freeze those accounts, you’re not just coming after me.”

A strange fear entered his eyes.

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