The Child Who Wasn't Mine, The Husband Who Tried to Kill Me, and The 35-Year-Old Lie from the Rooftop

"Open up!" Daniel’s voice roared from the hallway. "That's my wife!"

The woman on the balcony glanced back toward the living room. "Is that man your husband?"

"Don't open the door!" Elena screamed. "He's trying to kill us!"

The pounding grew deafening. "Open this door right now!"

The woman yelled to her husband inside, "Tell the police to hurry!"

Rosa’s grip was slipping. "Elena..."

"Don't let go!"

"You have to let me fall."

"No!"

"My weight will drag us both down. We'll both die."

"I am not letting you go!"

Rosa smiled, a profound sadness in her eyes. "I always wished I had a daughter like you."

Elena shook her head frantically. "Don't say goodbye. Please!"

Inside, the front door began to splinter. Daniel was throwing his shoulder against it.

Elena looked down at Rosa's hands. One of them was slowly slipping away from her leg. "No! Hold on!"

"Listen to me carefully," the old woman said, her voice dropping to a hurried whisper. "In my room, behind the mirror, there is a box. Inside, you will find the hospital records."

"What records?"

"The documents proving who the real father of your child is."

"Tell me his name!" Elena begged.

Rosa opened her mouth to speak.

But at that exact moment, the apartment door crashed open. Daniel burst in, knife in hand, with Beatriz close behind. The male homeowner tried to block his path, but Daniel struck him down and sprinted straight for the balcony.

The wife screamed, "Get away from them!"

Daniel raised his knife. "Let her go, Rosa."

Elena clung to the railing, her fingers sliding millimetre by millimetre. "Who is the father of my baby?!" she shrieked.

Rosa looked at Daniel. Then she looked up at Elena.

"The real father is..."

Daniel threw the knife. The blade sliced through the air, heading straight for them.

Instinctively, Rosa let go with one hand to swat the weapon away. The sudden movement broke her leg-grip on Elena.

The elderly maid began to plummet.

"Rosa!"

Elena reached out to grab her, but the movement caused another one of her fingers to slip from the railing. Daniel lunged toward the edge to finish them both off.

Suddenly, a deep, commanding voice boomed from inside the apartment:

"Touch my child again, and I will kill you."

Daniel froze. The color drained completely from Beatriz’s face.

Elena forced her head up.

Standing at the entrance of the balcony was a man she had never seen before. In his hand, he held an old, faded photograph of the Valdés family.

His face was the spitting image of Daniel’s late father when he was a young man.