Chapter 2 - The Truth Beneath the Balcony
Elena closed her eyes, bracing for death.
But then, her shoulder slammed hard against a balcony on the floor below. By pure instinct, she threw her arms out and her fingers managed to clamp onto the metal railing.
The impact was brutal. A blinding pain shot through Elena's arms, but she succeeded in halting their fall. Rosa, however, was dangling directly beneath her. The maid's body was held up solely by Elena's legs, which Rosa had desperately clamped onto.
"Rosa!" Elena cried out.
The old woman looked up. Blood was trickling down her forehead, and she was gasping for air. "Don't move..."
"I can't hold you!" Elena sobbed. Half of her body was hanging off the balcony. Her fingers were slowly sliding against the slick metal railing. Rosa’s weight was dragging them both down.
Above them, Daniel and Beatriz peered over the rooftop edge.
"They're still alive," Beatriz said, furious.
Daniel stared down at his wife, entirely devoid of emotion. "Not for long."
Elena looked up at him through a blur of tears. "How can you do this to your own child?"
Daniel remained silent.
Rosa summoned the last of her strength to speak. "Because he knows the baby will reveal the truth."
Beatriz went pale. "Shut up!"
Elena looked down. "What truth?"
Rosa squeezed Elena’s legs tighter to keep from slipping. "Daniel never wanted you to get pregnant."
"That doesn't make sense. He’s the one who asked me to start a family!"
"Because he needed an heir before his father passed away."
Daniel leaned over the rooftop ledge. "Rosa, if you utter another word, I will kill your daughter."
The old maid froze.
Elena stared down at her. "Your daughter?"
Rosa closed her eyes. For thirty years, she had lived in the mansion without ever mentioning she had a family. "I thought she was dead," she whispered.
Daniel smirked. "She isn't. And we know exactly where to find her."
"Leave her out of this!" Rosa screamed.
"Then let go of Elena."
Rosa looked at her. If she let go of Elena's legs, she would plunge to her death. If she kept speaking, Daniel would execute his threat.
Elena felt one of her fingers slip off the metal bar. "Rosa, I need to know."
"There is no time."
"Why do they want to kill my baby?!"
The maid looked up. Beatriz was shaking her head, warning her to stay silent. Rosa took a deep, shuddering breath.
"Because Daniel is not the true heir to this family."
Elena's heart stopped. "What?"
"Daniel’s father discovered thirty-five years ago that Beatriz had swapped her baby at the hospital."
Daniel gripped his knife in a rage. "Enough!"
But Rosa pushed on: "Daniel doesn't have a single drop of Valdés blood. If your baby is born and they perform the genetic testing required by the will, everyone will find out."
Elena tried to piece the puzzle together in her racing mind. "So they want to kill my baby just to prevent a DNA test?"
"Not just that." Rosa glared up at Beatriz. "Your baby is a Valdés."
Elena's eyes widened. "How is that possible if Daniel isn't one?"
The maid hesitated.
Daniel turned and ran toward the rooftop door. Beatriz followed close behind. "Hurry! They'll go through the apartment below!"
Elena heard their footsteps fade. They were coming for the balcony.
"Rosa, tell me!"
"The true heir had a child before he disappeared."
"Who?"
Rosa looked directly at Elena’s belly. "The father of your baby."
Elena felt a wave of nausea. "Daniel is the father."
"That is only what you were led to believe."
"I have never been with another man!"
Rosa shook her head sadly. "Months before your wedding, you had an accident. You were unconscious in the hospital for several days."
Elena remembered that hospital stay. Daniel had supposedly never left her side. "What happened while I was unconscious?"
Tears welled in Rosa's eyes. "Beatriz paid a doctor to perform a procedure without your consent."
"What procedure?!"
Before Rosa could answer, the balcony door of the apartment flew open. A woman stepped out and shrieked when she saw them dangling.
"Oh my God!" She ran over and grabbed Elena's arms. "Hold on! My husband is calling 911!"
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Elena felt a brief surge of relief. But then, violent, heavy thuds rattled the front door of the apartment inside.
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