Chapter 4: The Man Who Always Knew
I called Richard before the breakfast tray arrived.
"He knew," I said.
"About the trust.
About my father's estate.
Claudia is saying Alejandro knew from the beginning."
"How is she saying that?"
"She sent me a photograph.
The three of them together — Alejandro, Claudia, and a man I don't recognize.
She wrote on the back that he always knew about the trust."
"Who is the third man?"
"I don't know."
"Get me that photograph today.
Physical copy if possible, or a clear image.
I want to know who that man is before we go any further." Richard's voice was measured, but I had worked with him long enough to hear the shift underneath it.
"Camila, if Alejandro entered this marriage with prior knowledge of your inheritance and deliberately concealed that, we are no longer talking about a straightforward divorce.
We may be looking at fraudulent inducement."
I sat with that for a moment.
"He married me for the money."
"That's what we need to establish.
Don't confront him yet.
Not until I know who the third man is."
I agreed and ended the call.
Alejandro arrived at the hospital at half past nine.
He didn't bring flowers.
He came in wearing yesterday's suit, which told me everything about the night he'd had.
His jaw was tight.
He closed the door behind him and stood at the foot of my bed with his hands in his pockets.
"I want to know what you've done," he said.
"Good morning, Alejandro."
"Don't do that.
The condo access was revoked last night.
My key card stopped working at six in the morning.
The car — the car isn't registered in my name.
I went to the garage and the attendant told me the account had been suspended."
"That's correct."
His eyes narrowed.
"You did this before the surgery."
"I did."
"While you were pretending to be frightened.
While I was—" He stopped.
"While you were what?" I asked.
"While you were being a devoted husband?"
He crossed his arms.
"This is vindictive, Camila.
I was honest with you.
I told you the truth.
I gave you the chance to handle this with dignity."
"You handed me divorce papers while I had an IV in my arm."
"Because I didn't know if you were going to survive." His voice rose slightly.
"I was trying to protect Claudia and my son."
"Your son," I said.
Something crossed his face.
Fast, and then gone.
"Yes.
My son."
I watched him.
He held my gaze with the practiced steadiness of a man who had spent years managing his expressions around me.
"Alejandro," I said.
"Who is Marcus Veil?"
The name landed.
I saw it land.
His chin moved a fraction of an inch and his hands, still in his pockets, shifted.
"I don't know who that is."
"That's interesting," I said.
"Because Claudia does.
And apparently, so do you."
He said nothing.
"She sent me a photograph," I continued.
"The three of you at dinner.
You have your arm around her.
The man beside her is watching her in a way that isn't friendly.
And on the back, she wrote that you always knew about my father's trust."
Alejandro pulled his hands from his pockets.
He walked to the window and stood with his back to me.
"Claudia is unstable," he said.
"She's been unstable for years.
Whatever she told you, whatever she sent you — she's trying to protect herself.
She panicked."
"From what?"
He turned around.
His composure had returned, smoothed back into place like a mask reset.
"From the fact that the baby isn't mine," he said.
"She told you that, didn't she?
She's trying to get ahead of it.
She's terrified I'm going to expose her and she's throwing everything at the wall, including me."
"So you knew the baby wasn't yours."
A pause.
One beat too long.
"I suspected," he said.
"Recently."
"And yet this morning you called him *my son* with a great deal of confidence."
He sat down in the chair beside the window.
For the first time since he had walked in, he looked tired.
"What do you want, Camila?"
"I want to know who Marcus Veil is."
"I told you.
I don't know that name."
"Then this conversation is finished," I said.
"My attorney will be in touch."
He stood.
Straightened his jacket.
Walked to the door.
Then he stopped with his hand on the frame and spoke without turning around.
"You should know," he said quietly, "that I'm not the only one who's been keeping secrets.
Your father's trust isn't as clean as you think it is.
There are things in that estate you don't know about.
Things that could complicate your position considerably."
He left before I could respond.
I picked up my phone and typed one line to Richard.
*He just threatened the trust.
And he knows Marcus Veil.*
Richard's reply came in under a minute.
*I know who Marcus Veil is.
May you like
Come to my office the moment you're discharged.
Do not speak to Alejandro again without me present.*
