Chapter 3: The Price of Cruelty
Chapter 3: The Price of Cruelty
Jimena screamed as the police officers stepped forward. "You can't do this! I am your wife! Half of this house is mine!"
"Not anymore," Alejandro said coldly. "You signed a prenuptial agreement, Jimena. A clause specifically stating that any act of criminal negligence or endangerment toward my children nullifies every single asset transfer, including your marital allowance. You leave this house with nothing but the clothes on your back."
The lead officer, a stern man who had known Alejandro for years, looked at the documents on the floor and then up at the staircase where Dr. Silva was now standing, holding a clipboard with a grim expression.
"Mr. Santillán," Dr. Silva called down, his voice trembling with anger. "The children show clear signs of prolonged starvation and hypothermia. I've initiated IV fluids for Sofía and Camila. This is severe criminal child abuse."
Hearing this, the police officer didn't hesitate. He grabbed Jimena’s arms and pulled them behind her back, clicking the cold steel of handcuffs around her wrists. The diamonds around her neck caught the light, contrasting sharply with her sudden, pathetic state.
"Jimena Fuentes, you are under arrest for criminal child endangerment, fraud, and grand larceny," the officer recited.
"Alejandro, please! Forgive me! I did it for us, the debts were crushing me!" Jimena shrieked, kicking and screaming as she was dragged across the marble floor. The guests she had invited scrambled to get out of the way, terrified of being implicated. Ernesto was swiftly handcuffed right next to her, his legal arrogance completely shattered.
As Jimena was dragged out into the rainy Christmas Eve night, her screams fading into the distance, the mansion fell into a heavy, profound silence. The partygoers quietly fled, leaving the grand living room empty, littered with spilled champagne and ruined decorations.
Alejandro stood alone in the center of the wreckage. The rage that had sustained him for the last hour suddenly evaporated, leaving behind a hollow, agonizing ache. He had built a kingdom, but in doing so, he had left his castle unguarded, allowing a monster to torment his most precious treasures.
He walked slowly back up the stairs, his boots heavy. When he entered the master bedroom, the sight broke his heart all over again, but this time, with a glimmer of hope. The quadruplets were sitting in the massive bed, wrapped in warm blankets. The catering staff had brought up bowls of hot chicken soup and fresh, warm bread rolls.
Valeria was hesitantly taking a bite of a roll, looking up wide-eyed as if expecting someone to snatch it away. When she saw Alejandro enter, she stopped chewing.
Alejandro walked over and knelt by the bedside. He took Valeria’s small, warm hand. "Eat, my love. Eat as much as you want. Nobody will ever take your food away again. Daddy is never leaving."
May you like
Camila sniffled, a small tear rolling down her cheek. "Are you sure, Daddy? Is the mean lady gone?"
"She is gone forever," Alejandro promised, burying his face in their blankets as he finally let his own tears fall. "Tomorrow, we start over."
