Jam's POV
I slammed my fist against the table, unable to contain the fury boiling inside me.
Part of me wanted to blame the guards assigned to Carlos at the hospital—but I knew they hadn't meant for this to happen. What weighed on me more was the guilt. If I had been there myself… if I had stayed to watch over him… maybe none of this would have happened.
"Calm down, Jam. If you let your anger control you, Santiago will only end up in more danger," Luis warned.
I drew in a deep breath and slowly unclenched my fists.
"I just don't get it… Why target him? There are four of us involved in this case." I forced my voice to stay steady, though rage still laced every word. I had to think clearly. Losing control wouldn't help anyone.
"Do you think Leo might be involved?" Jenna suddenly asked.
Luis and I both turned to her.
"We'll find out soon enough," Luis said firmly. "We've gathered new evidence against the Madrigal family. If we can prove they're behind Santiago's abduction, it'll be more than enough to put them behind bars."
"Nandito na!" Jenna exclaimed, clutching her laptop.
"What did you find?" I asked, stepping closer.
"I requested the CCTV footage yesterday—from the hospital and the surrounding streets. We managed to capture the plate number of the vehicle they used. And I just received the full route they took."
She turned the screen toward us. Footage from different cameras showed the same vehicle moving through the city.
"I know this place," I said as soon as I recognized the street name. I grabbed my jacket and faced them. "I'll take a team and track them down. Luis, you're with me. Jen, keep monitoring their movements."
They nodded without hesitation. Luis grabbed his car keys and signaled our team to move.
We left in two vehicles—eight of us in total. Luis led the way in the first car while I followed behind. I tapped the communication device in my ear.
"Turn left," Jenna instructed through the line.
Our driver obeyed immediately. Not long after, we reached the street from the footage and turned in.
The farther we drove, the more the city faded behind us. Buildings disappeared. Concrete turned into open land. Soon, towering trees surrounded us on both sides.
Then I saw it.
At the top of a wide, open field stood a massive estate.
The Madrigal Mansion.
Our vehicles came to a stop. Luis and I stepped out.
"We need to confirm the car is here first," Luis said. "After that, we proceed with the plan."
I gave him a nod.
---
Carlos' POV
My entire body ached like I had pushed myself through a month of brutal training.
I forced my eyes open, but my vision was blurry. Slowly, I lifted my head, trying to figure out where I was. After a few seconds, my sight cleared—and my breath caught.
I had no idea where I was.
I tried to stand, but I couldn't move.
That's when I realized—
I was tied to a chair in the middle of the room. My arms, my legs—secured tightly. The room was almost empty, except for a white sofa and a coffee table in front of me.
How did I end up here?
"Sir, he's awake."
The voice near the door snapped me to full alert.
Moments later, the door opened. Two men entered, each holding a baseball bat. Behind them walked a man wearing a black mask.
"So Mr. Santiago is finally awake," he said, crouching in front of me.
He grabbed my face roughly, studying me like I was some kind of specimen.
"Tsk. This is what you get for meddling with that idiot," he muttered before shoving my face away.
Then he removed the mask.
My blood ran cold.
"Eron Madrigal," I breathed.
A slow grin spread across his face.
"So you do know me. How unfortunate for you. Looks like my face will be the last thing you see before you die."
I struggled against the ropes, but they were too tight.
"Let me go!" I spat.
"Let you go?" He laughed. "If you hadn't interfered with my family's business, none of this would've happened. I warned you to stop investigating. But stubborn cops like you never listen. You're just like that idiot."
His hand struck my face so hard my head snapped to the side.
"What did you do to Anna?!" I demanded.
He paused briefly—just a flicker—then shrugged.
"I don't know."
"Liar! You killed her!"
"Killed?" He chuckled. "Careful with your accusations. We didn't kill her. She ran away from the mansion and hid for years. Worked odd jobs. Got into trouble. You know how it goes. Anna drowned in debt because of drugs. When she couldn't pay, her life became the payment."
"You're lying! You're behind the deaths of those women!"
"Tsk. You're persistent, I'll give you that." He smirked. "But I wasn't the one ordering their deaths. That was my father. Those fools knew that once they escaped the mansion, he'd hunt them down. I even told them to hide somewhere dark and quiet. But they were found anyway… and you can guess what happened next."
He gripped my jaw again, forcing me to look at him.
"Though honestly? I wanted Anna dead too. Because of her, our family name was dragged through the mud. Ungrateful woman."
He shoved my face back violently, pain shooting through my neck.
One of the men handed him a small knife. He pressed the blade lightly against my skin.
"I wonder which part of your face I should peel off while we wait for your friends to arrive?" he said with a twisted grin.
For the first time, real fear crept in.
He wasn't joking.
"Since you're going to die anyway… let me share a little secret. Just between us." The blade traced slowly along my neck.
"Do you know how we always knew your moves? There's a traitor among the people close to you. That's why you shouldn't trust so easily. Want to meet them? Or would it hurt too much to find out who it is?"
My chest tightened.
If there really was a traitor… I wasn't sure I wanted to know.
"Bunso… come out. Don't you want to meet your… friend?"
The door opened.
And the world seemed to stop.
I wanted to deny what I was seeing. I wanted to believe it wasn't real. There were so many people it could have been.
Why her?
"Carlos, let me introduce you to my sister. We may not share the same blood… but she's still a Madrigal. April Megan Madrigal—though you know her better as…"
He smiled.
"Jenna Fable."