Chapter 2 - The Shadows of the Past
The morning sun filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Frederico's corporate office, but the warmth did not reach his desk. He stared at a quarterly financial report, but his mind kept drifting back to the pink carpet, the blue eyeshadow, and the soft melody Amélia had sung. For the first time in months, he had arrived at work without the crushing weight of existential despair. He felt a newfound determination to fix his life, to be the father his daughters deserved.
The sharp buzz of his intercom shattered his thoughts.
"Mr. Frederico," his secretary’s voice announced, sounding unusually tense. "Your mother-in-law, Mrs. Victoria Elegance, is here to see you. She says it's urgent regarding the girls' welfare."
Frederico’s jaw tightened. Victoria was a matriarch of high society, a woman whose bloodline was as cold as it was aristocratic. Since Marina’s death, Victoria had consistently criticized Frederico's parenting, openly suggesting that Larissa and Camila should be sent to a specialized boarding clinic in Switzerland rather than being raised by a "distracted, grief-stricken father."
"Send her in," Frederico sighed, bracing himself.
The heavy oak doors swung open, and Victoria stepped into the room, smelling of expensive French perfume and old money. Her designer sunglasses were perched perfectly on her coiffed hair, and her expression was etched with a calculated, patronizing pity.
"Frederico, darling," Victoria sighed, dropping her leather handbag onto the glass sofa table. "You look exhausted. Still burying yourself in these ridiculous real estate acquisitions, I see. Have you even considered the proposal I sent over last week? The Swiss clinic has an opening next month for the twins."
"The girls are staying with me, Victoria," Frederico said firmly, his tone leaving no room for negotiation. "They are making progress here at home."
"Progress?" Victoria laughed, a cold, brittle sound. "Isolated in that massive house with nothing but medical equipment? I stopped by the mansion this morning while you were out, Frederico. I wanted to bring the girls some educational materials. Do you know what I found?"
Frederico felt a sudden chill in his stomach. "What did you find?"
"I found your new maid—that lower-class girl, Amélia, I believe her name is—sitting on the terrace with my granddaughters, feeding them cheap street pastries and singing vulgar folk songs," Victoria sneered, her eyes narrowing. "The girl didn't even have her uniform properly buttoned. Frederico, you have outsourced the care of Marina's daughters to a common servant. It is unacceptable. The high society circles are already whispering about your negligence. If you do not hire a proper, high-class governess from the agency I recommended, I will be forced to take this to the family courts. I will not have my daughter's children raised by peasants."
The mention of the family courts was a direct threat. Victoria had the political connections and the financial resources to launch a massive, public custody battle that would drag Frederico's reputation through the mud and traumatize the twins.
"Amélia is an employee of this household, and she has brought more joy to my daughters in two months than your specialized clinics have in eight," Frederico growled, standing up from his desk, his imposing height causing Victoria to step back slightly. "Do not threaten me in my own office, Victoria. The girls stay with me, and I choose who cares for them."
"We shall see, Frederico," Victoria snapped, gathering her things. "Just remember that people of that class always have motives. You think she cares for those crippled girls? She cares about your bank account. Check her references, Frederico. You might be surprised by what a common maid hides beneath a sweet smile."
With a dramatic swirl of her silk trench coat, Victoria exited the office, leaving Frederico alone with a brewing storm of anxiety. While he despised his mother-in-law’s elitism, her parting words sowed a tiny, unwanted seed of doubt in his mind. Why had Amélia been so terrified when he caught her playing with the girls? Why did she always deflect any questions about her past or where she went during her weekend leaves?
Determined to protect his daughters from any potential threat, Frederico called his head of corporate security, an ex-detective named Marcus.
"Marcus," Frederico said into the phone, his voice heavy. "I need a discreet background check on Amélia Santos. She’s the live-in maid at my residence. I want to know everything—her previous employment, her financial records, and where she spends her time off. Keep it completely quiet."
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"Understood, Mr. Frederico. I'll have the preliminary report by tomorrow evening," Marcus replied.
As Frederico hung up, he looked out at the city skyline. He felt a deep sense of guilt for investigating the woman who had brought laughter back to his home, but as a father who had already lost his wife and his daughters' health, he couldn't afford to be blind. What he didn't know was that Marcus's investigation would uncover a reality far more heartbreaking than any corporate scheme Victoria could ever imagine.
