Chapter 5 - CHAPTER 4: THE THREAT AT THE GATES
The storm outside intensified as night fell over Las Lomas.
Inside the mansion, the mood had shifted entirely. Alejandro ordered his head of private security, a former federal agent named Rodrigo, to double the guard perimeter around the estate. Bulletproof shutters were lowered over the main floor windows, and the main entrance gates were placed on hard lockdown.
In the master kitchen, Mariana was preparing a warm bowl of soup for Lucía. The little girl sat on a tall marble stool, swinging her legs, contentedly dipping a piece of toasted bread into her soup while Panquecito sat beside her on the counter.
Alejandro walked in, having changed out of his painted suit into a simple black sweater and dark trousers. He had washed his face, but a faint trace of yellow paint still lingered near his hairline.
He set a small silver glass of juice down in front of Lucía.
"Thank you, Mr. Big House," Lucía chirped, offering him a big, bright smile.
Alejandro looked down at her, his expression softening into a warmth that Mariana had never seen before. "You can call me Alejandro, Lucía."
"Ale-jan-dro," she repeated carefully, testing the syllables. "That's a long name. Can I call you Uncle Ale?"
Alejandro froze. He looked up at Mariana, his grey eyes shining with an emotion so deep it threatened to spill over.
Mariana gave him a small, soft nod. "If he says it's okay, sweetie."
"I would... I would love that," Alejandro said, his voice husky. He reached out and gently patted Lucía’s head, his large hand trembling slightly.
Before the moment could settle, the mansion’s internal intercom chimed loudly, its sharp beep echoing through the vast kitchen.
Rodrigo’s voice came through the speaker, tight and alert. "Mr. Santillán, we have a situation at the front gate. Two unmarked black SUVs just pulled up. Uncle Ernesto is at the speaker post. He brought three corporate lawyers and two representatives from Child Protective Services."
Mariana gasped, dropping the spoon she was holding onto the marble floor. "Child Protective Services?!"
Alejandro’s posture instantly went rigid, his warm expression replaced by an terrifying, icy fury. "What is he claiming, Rodrigo?"
"He’s claiming that an undocumented minor is being held illegally on private property under unsafe conditions," Rodrigo reported. "He brought an emergency custody order signed by a family court judge in Sector Norte."
"He bought a judge," Alejandro growled, his jaw clenching so hard a muscle twitched in his cheek. "Ernesto knows he can't win a legal battle over the trust, so he’s trying to use the state to snatch Lucía out of our hands tonight."
Mariana rushed over to Lucía, lifting her off the stool and pulling her into a tight hug. "They can't take her! She's my daughter! I have her birth certificate!"
"In Mexico City, an emergency court order bypasses standard parental consent for forty-eight hours if 'imminent danger' is cited," Alejandro explained quickly, his mind calculating strategies at lightning speed. "Ernesto paid off a crooked judge to create a forty-eight-hour window where Lucía would be placed in a state facility—a facility controlled by his political allies. Once she’s in their system, she’ll disappear."
"No!" Mariana cried out, tears of absolute horror spilling down her cheeks. "No! I won't let them!"
Alejandro grabbed Mariana by the shoulders, looking directly into her frantic eyes.
"Listen to me, Mariana," Alejandro commanded, his voice steady, grounding her panic. "I am not going to let anyone touch your daughter. Do you hear me? I lost Mateo because I wasn't fast enough. I am not losing his child."
He turned to the intercom. "Rodrigo, do not open the gates. Hold them at the perimeter for five minutes. Activate the subterranean garage access."
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"Understood, sir."
Alejandro grabbed a heavy black jacket from the coat rack and threw it over Mariana’s shoulders. "We’re leaving through the private tunnel under the west wing. My helicopter is waiting at the private hangar in Toluca. We are getting you and Lucía out of the city tonight."
