Chapter 12 - The Baby Wasn't Alejandro'sAlejandro sat alone for nearly an hour after the doctor confirmed the pregnancy.
He did the dates himself.
Again.
Again.
The result did not change.
There was technically a narrow possibility the baby was his.
But the affair with Rafael made that possibility feel irrelevant.
Beatriz had lied.
Again.
What mattered more was what she had told Isabella.
A new baby.
A real family.
Her room taken.
Her father replacing her.
The pregnancy had become another weapon.
Alejandro requested communication through attorneys only.
Beatriz ignored that within three hours.
She appeared at the villa gate.
Security called him.
“Do not let her in.”
“She says she needs medication.”
“Have staff pack it.”
Isabella heard the conversation.
“Is she here?”
“Yes.”
The child immediately looked toward the stairs.
Alejandro noticed.
“You don't have to see her.”
“I don't want to.”
“Then you won't.”
Beatriz stood outside the gate for twenty minutes.
Then she called Isabella's name from the road.
Alejandro's anger ignited.
He went outside.
“Stop.”
Beatriz turned.
She looked tired now.
No silk robe.
No cocktail.
No perfect composure.
“You won't let me get my things.”
“They'll be delivered.”
“You're treating me like a criminal.”
“You're under criminal investigation.”
“Because you turned my family against me.”
“Your family?”
She touched her stomach.
Alejandro looked down.
Beatriz froze.
“You know.”
“Yes.”
Her eyes filled.
“I was going to tell you.”
“When? After Isabella landed in Switzerland?”
“Don't.”
“Is it mine?”
Beatriz looked away.
That answered enough.
“Rafael?”
She began crying.
Alejandro felt nothing.
“I made mistakes.”
“No.”
“What?”
“You made plans.”
She stared.
“There is a difference.”
“I loved you.”
“Maybe.”
“I did.”
“You loved what I gave you.”
“That is cruel.”
Alejandro almost laughed.
“Cruel?”
She flinched.
He regretted the satisfaction immediately.
Not because Beatriz deserved gentleness.
Because he did not want to become her.
“Why did you tell Isabella the baby would replace her?”
“I didn't say that.”
“She saw the ultrasound.”
Beatriz closed her eyes.
“What exactly did you say?”
No answer.
“Beatriz.”
“I told her things would change.”
“She said you called it the real child's room.”
“I was angry.”
“At an eight-year-old.”
“She told me she wished Camila were still here.”
Alejandro stared.
“And that hurt you enough to tell her your unborn baby was more real than she was?”
Beatriz cried.
“I never knew how to compete.”
“You keep saying that.”
“Because it's true.”
“No one asked you to compete.”
“You don't understand what it is like to be second to a dead woman.”
“And you don't understand what it is like to be eight and believe your father stopped loving you.”
The sentence hit.
Beatriz looked away.
Alejandro continued.
“You did that.”
Silence.
“You didn't steal only money.”
Her tears stopped.
“You stole months between us.”
Beatriz whispered:
“I can fix it.”
“No.”
“Let me talk to her.”
“No.”
“Please.”
“No.”
Her hand moved protectively over her stomach.
“What happens to me?”
Alejandro stared.
There was something revealing in the question.
Not what happens to us?
Not what happens to Isabella?
Me.
“I don't know.”
“Will you support the baby?”
“If the baby is mine, I will fulfill every responsibility.”
She looked pained by the legal tone.
“If it's Rafael's?”
“Then Rafael has responsibilities.”
“He's gone.”
“That isn't my problem.”
“It could be your brother or sister's—”
“Do not use that child to manipulate me.”
Beatriz stopped.
Alejandro walked back toward the gate.
She called after him.
“Rafael planned everything!”
He turned.
“Everything?”
“The sale.”
“The fraud?”
“Yes.”
“The school?”
“He pushed it.”
“The punishments?”
Silence.
Alejandro waited.
Beatriz lowered her eyes.
“No.”
There.
At least one truth.
“You did those.”
“Yes.”
“You put Isabella in the storage room.”
“Yes.”
“You made her drag garbage.”
“Yes.”
“You deleted my messages.”
“Yes.”
“You told her I didn't want to come home.”
Beatriz began crying again.
“Yes.”
Alejandro nodded slowly.
“Thank you.”
She looked surprised.
“For what?”
“For finally not blaming someone else.”
He walked away.
That evening, paternity testing was discussed through attorneys.
Because Beatriz was still pregnant, everyone agreed to wait unless medically appropriate testing could be done safely.
But Rafael's location became more important.
Authorities traced his finances.
A villa in Tangier.
An account in Dubai.
Multiple shell companies.
Then Marta called.
“We found evidence Rafael booked two tickets.”
“Where?”
“Buenos Aires.”
“For him and Beatriz?”
“No.”
Alejandro felt uneasy.
“Who?”
“One adult.”
Marta paused.
“And one child.”
Alejandro looked upstairs toward Isabella's bedroom.
May you like
The child's ticket had been booked under a false surname.
But the birth date was Isabella's.
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