(POV Semiel)
The afternoon light streamed through the curtains as I opened the door and found Saval waiting for me. His brow was furrowed, his shoulders tense.
—We need to talk,— he said as soon as I stepped inside.
The tone of his voice put me on alert. I closed the door behind me. —Did something happen?—
He handed me a folder full of documents. —Antonella. She came back. She gave me this.—
Surprise left me speechless. Antonella… after all this time. I took the folder and began reading: forged signatures, emails, messages linking Santiago and Xavier in a web of lies and blackmail.
—This is…— I swallowed—. This is everything we need.
Saval nodded, though his expression remained hard. —She says she wants to help us. That she's sorry.—
Antonella, the same one who hurt him, who complicated both our lives, was now on our side.
—Do you believe her?— I asked, not taking my eyes off the evidence.
—Not entirely,— he replied,— but this is real. And it gives us an advantage.
I set the papers down on the table. The silence was heavy, only the ticking of the clock accompanying our thoughts.
Finally, a way out. A way to end this before Santiago hurts us again.
—We have to take this to someone who can act,— I said.— The police, a lawyer, anyone.—
—Mia and David should know first,— Saval added.— They've been in the middle of all this too.—
I nodded. —We can meet tonight.—
Saval stepped closer, lowering his voice. —Semiel, I don't want you going near Santiago.—
I felt a strange warmth in my chest. —I know. But I can't just stand by either.—
His eyes softened slightly. —I just… don't want to lose you.—
That fear we've both shared since this began. That dread that Santiago will destroy everything we've built.
—I won't let him win,— I assured him.— But we'll go together.—
Saval took a deep breath, as if those words gave him some measure of calm.
—Antonella expects us to contact her if we need more,— he added.— She says Xavier knows the plan is falling apart.—
I kept staring at the folder. Every page was a piece of the puzzle we'd been trying to solve for weeks. Finally, evidence. Finally, a real chance to end this.
—Tonight, we show it to Mia and David,— I repeated.— Tomorrow, we go to the police.—
Saval nodded. He sank onto the couch and buried his face in his hands. —I can't believe she came back… that she did this.—
I sat beside him. —Maybe she wants to close her own past too.—
Saval let out a short, joyless laugh. —Maybe.—
I looked at him, seeing the exhaustion in his eyes. Everything we've endured: the arguments, the fear, the sleepless nights. And yet, we're still here, together.
I took his hand. —We're going to get through this.—
He squeezed my fingers, saying nothing. The silence that settled between us was no longer tense, but filled with shared resolve.
I knew the next few hours would be crucial: preparing the report, watching our every step, keeping an eye on those who were hunting us. But for the first time in a long time, I felt like we were in control.
This time, Santiago won't destroy us. This time, we win.