“What case?” you ask, voice thin.
Mateo’s expression turns grim.
“Your father didn’t just fear gossip,” he says. “He used it. He weaponized it.”
He pauses, like he’s choosing the least cruel way to speak.
“He’s been buying land from families who can’t fight back. Threats. Fake debts. People losing homes because they don’t have money for court.”
Your skin goes cold.
You want to deny it, but something inside you recognizes the shape of the truth.
The sudden new car. The sudden renovations. The way your father always smiled when someone else looked smaller.
“No,” you whisper. “That can’t be—”
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