69. Daniela

“Ihave something to show you,” Lara says, with a forced smile, when she returns to my father’s office after making us tea.

“What is it?”

“I think it’s better if I show you.”

“Is something wrong?”

“Oh no, it’s nothing like that.” Her eyes light up. “It’s just a small surprise I have for you.”

A surprise, for me?I really don’t want anything from Lara—it’ll only make it harder to let her go. But I follow her to the kitchen and into the pantry while she chatters about some new maid at the house.

I gasp when I enter the pantry. Duarte is on the floor. He’s not moving. I rush to him. “Duarte,” I cry from my knees. He doesn’t open his eyes. “Duarte!” I shout louder. He’s unconscious.

“Call security,” I instruct Lara. “Have them send an ambulance. Hurry!

“Did you see what happened?” I ask, placing my fingers on his throat. His breathing is shallow, but he has a pulse. There’s some foaming near his lips. And blisters popping up on his arm.

Why isn’t she calling?

“Lara, call—” When I look up, she has a gun pointed at me.

It takes me seconds to process.

There was no surprise. She did this.

My heart hammers, as I slowly feel for Duarte’s weapon. “What happened to him?” I ask. “He must have had an accident,” I muse, even though I know it wasn’t. “No one will blame you. But we need to get him help before he dies.”

I can’t find his gun.

Lara’s grinning, like she won a damn prize. “You’re such a stupid woman. And you’re not even that pretty. I have no idea what someone like Antonio Huntsman sees in you.”

She’s bitter. She wants Antonio. Is that what this is about?

My chest tightens as I scan the pantry for something I can use as a weapon, but she’s standing so close. I can’t reach anything.

I glance at Duarte’s arm. More blisters. “What did you do to him? He needs medical attention.”

“If you listen carefully and cooperate, he can have the help he needs.”

I’m panting, struggling to stay calm. “What do you want?”

“You’re going to come with me. And you’re not going to give me any trouble. Otherwise, I’ll kill you and take your precious Valentina with me instead. The little brat will go in your place.”

I can’t breathe.

She can’t get to Valentina without going through Santi and Mia first. I glance down at Duarte. He’s very capable, and she got to him. I didn’t even hear a sound.

“I have men stationed outside the school.”

She has men?Who is this woman?

Lara holds out her phone so I can see the screen. It’s Valentina. She pulls it away quickly, but not before I can see the whiteboard behind her. She’s at school.

“What do you want?”

“Change into these clothes.” She kicks a tote bag at me.

I grab the bag and stand. “I’ll be right back,” I assure her, taking a step toward the door. Although I have no intention of coming back. But I’ll call or text Santi to warn him.

“You’ll change here,” she snarls, shoving me further into the pantry. “You know I loved Antonio, right? I deserved him. And I would have made a better wife than you.”

Oh my God.

I need to find a way out or Duarte’s going to die. And me, too. I eye a quart of tomato sauce on the shelf. It could work—if I can distract her for even a few seconds.

“Can you turn your back while I change? Please.”

“No!” she barks, chambering the gun. “Don’t pretend you’re so modest and good. You let Tomas fuck you. He told me you begged him.”

I can’t breathe. It’s hot. So hot. Black dots cloud my vision. Small breaths. Stay here. You can do this.

I hang onto a shelf. “I was twelve. I didn’t let Tomas do anything. He raped me.”

“Liar!” she shouts. “He told me.”

“He lied to you, Lara. I didn’t let him do anything.”

“He loved me. He would never lie to me. Tomas was going to marry me and we were going to live here, with Valentina.”

I feel myself heave and hold my stomach. Small breaths. You can do this. You’ve been through worse. You can do this. Stay alert for an opportunity. She’ll make a mistake.

“Get dressed. We’re going to see an old friend. Take off everything. There’s underwear in the bag.”

The bag contains lacy lingerie—it’s expensive—and a designer dress with matching shoes.

“What friend?”

“It’s another surprise,” she gushes. “If you don’t come, he said he’d love to see Valentina. She’s so pretty.”

I hang my head and vomit. Some of it lands on Duarte’s shoes. He doesn’t move an inch. I’m not sure he’s still breathing.

“You’re disgusting,” she sneers, tossing my sweater over the vomit.

“The guards will see me leave, and they’ll call Antonio.” He won’t let you get away with this.

“Haven’t you been following the news?” she taunts. “Antonio’s not in Porto. He doesn’t love you. Just like he didn’t love me.”

“Lara,” I plead, “you don’t have to do this. It doesn’t matter whether Antonio loves us. We don’t need him. We can figure something out. Just me and you.”

“Tomas didn’t love you, either,” she continues, without responding. “But he loved me. And then Antonio took him.” She gapes into my face. Her eyes are narrow and the irises black, as if the pupils have taken over. “Antonio needs to be punished.”

She’s unstable. Be careful.

“I’m not worried about the guards. They already checked the van. There was just mail and packages, and the equipment my neighbor uses to provide physical therapy. I’m your trusted personal assistant. They’re not going to check the vehicle on the way out.”

She’s right.

“You’re going to get into the back of the van and hide, just like you climbed into the back of the pickup truck. Remember?” she mocks, like I’m a piece of trash. “Alvarez hated you. He told me how you snuck out of Antonio’s house and went to the dock like a whore.”

“Lara, you don’t have to do this. I can help you. Please let me. They’ll listen to me. We can say that Duarte had an accident. That he fell and knocked his head.”

She doesn’t acknowledge my suggestion. “Put all your clothes and shoes in the bag. Your phone, too.”

When I take too long, she holds up another image of Valentina at her desk.

“You better hope I get away with it, because if I don’t call in fifteen minutes to say that we’ve left, your daughter’s guards will be dead—like him.” She cocks her chin at Duarte. “And Valentina will be on the way to make an old man’s dreams come true.”