Elena arrived at the mansion forty minutes later.
She was not alone.
A colleague from his firm, which specialises in real estate transactions, accompanied him.
Don Ernesto asked them to sit in the living room.
Lucía stayed by the window.
She had stopped crying.
She now seemed focused on finding a way out.
Elena put a file on the table.
“We have to distinguish three issues,” she explained. The situation of Don Ernesto, the documents used and any patrimonial operations. »
Javier acquiesça.
“I want to know if my father is in danger of losing this house.”
“According to our checks, no sales have been recorded to Víctor’s company.”
Javier breathed in relief.
But Elena continued:
“That doesn’t mean they didn’t try to prepare an irregular transfer.”
She pulled out a copy of the document.
“Here is a signature attributed to Don Ernesto. He claims not to have affixed it. We will need expertise of the original. »
Lucia intervened.
“This signature is indeed his.”
Elena la regarda.
“Were you present when he signed?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
Lucía hesitated.
“Here. In this house.”
“What day?”
“I don’t remember the exact date.”
“Who wrote the document?”
« Victor. »
“Were there any other people present?”
Lucía purses her lips.
“I don’t have to answer an interrogation.”
Elena retains her calm.
“Of course. You can benefit from your own legal advice. But these facts will have to be clarified. »
She then showed several bank movements.
For six months, large sums had left an account intended for household expenses.
The money ended up in a business related to consulting services.
Elena designated three operations.
“Don Ernesto does not admit to having authorized these payments.”
Lucía raised her voice.
“It was an expense for the house.”
“What services were provided?”
“Advice.”
“In what field?”
“Wealth management.”
Javier looked at the numbers.
“Forty-eight thousand euros for advice?”
Lucía did not answer.
“And why didn’t you ever tell me about it?”
“Because I didn’t want to worry you.”
“You withdrew money from an account belonging to my father.”
“It was to manage his properties.”
Don Ernesto parla clairement.
“I never authorized you to make these payments.”
Lucía looked at him angrily.
“YOU NEVER REMEMBER ANYTHING!”
Elena opened another document.
“It is precisely for this reason that we have asked for independent medical evaluations. We found no evidence that Don Ernesto had lost his ability to decide in these areas. »
Lucía is momentarily left without an argument.
But she still had something to say.
“This is all a plot against me.”
Javier shook his head slowly.
“What we see are documents and decisions that you have hidden from me.”
Elena added:
“We also discovered a request for information filed by a company linked to Víctor. We check if anyone has used Don Ernesto’s personal documents without his permission. »
Lucia goes to vers la porte.
“I need to talk to my lawyer.”
“That’s the most reasonable thing to do,” Elena replied.
Before she left, Javier stopped her with a question.
“Víctor Salcedo is only your advisor?”
Lucía turns around.
“What do you mean?”
Javier held up a photograph found in the file.
It was old.
It showed Lucía and Víctor embracing during a holiday.
On the back was a date dating back four years.
“I want to know why you never told me you’d been together.”
Lucía remained completely still.
And this silence opened an even deeper wound.
CHAPTER 12. THE MAN WHO HAD APPEARED BEFORE THE MARRIAGE
Javier had found the photograph among the documents Elena had gathered during her investigation.
On its own, it proved no irregularity.
But she was revealing a relationship that Lucía had deliberately hidden from her.
“How long were you together?” he asked.
She looked away.
“That was years ago.”
“How much?”
“Two years.”
Javier felt like he was running out of air.
“And you continue to see each other?”
“For work.”
“For work or for something else?”
Lucía relieves her chin.
“You don’t have the right to ask me about my past.”
“I’m not asking you about your past. I’m asking you about the man who tried to take over my father’s house. »
Elena intervened.
“Javier, it’s better to keep calm. Their personal relationship alone proves nothing. »
“I know,” he replied. But now I understand why she hid her name from me. »
Lucía began to walk into the living room.
“Víctor helped me when no one else did.”
Don Ernesto observes him.
“Before you meet my son?”
“Yes.”
“And you were already working together in real estate?”
Lucía did not answer.
This is enough to arouse new suspicions.
Later, Elena explained to Javier that the patrimonial investigation had made it possible to reconstruct some of Lucía’s business ties.
