She recognized it instantly—it was the old cellphone of Elena, Eduardo’s first wife, who had died in a so-called car “accident” two years earlier. Carmen had seen that phone in her employer’s hands a thousand times before the tragedy.
What was Elena’s phone doing in Victoria’s car?
With trembling hands and a heart pounding violently in her chest, Carmen pressed the power button. To her surprise, the device still had battery. The screen lit up, showing the date and time of its last use—exactly the day of Elena’s “accident.”
Then Carmen saw something that took her breath away.
On the screen were the last sent messages. Messages Elena supposedly could never have sent, because according to the official report, she had lost consciousness instantly when her car hit the tree. Yet there they were: three text messages sent twenty minutes after the alleged accident.
They were addressed to Eduardo:
“I know what you plan to do with Victoria.”
“I have proof.”
“If anything happens to me, check the safe in my office.”
The world seemed to tilt beneath Carmen’s feet. Elena hadn’t died in an accident. And somehow, Victoria was involved.