CHAPTER 17 — THE TOWER OF LIES
At 2:17 a.m., every light inside Montero Tower turned on.
One floor at a time.
From the street, the skyscraper looked like a giant awakening.
Alejandro stood across the avenue.
He stared at the building where he had spent half his life making deals.
Building an empire.
Protecting his family.
Believing his family protected him.
He had been wrong.
Behind him stood Lucía.
Daniel held Isabella's hand.
Mateo checked his weapon.
Rafael watched the tower in silence.
Sofia stood beside her father.
Valeria was there too.
Alejandro looked at her.
“You don't have to come.”
Valeria shook her head.
“Yes, I do.”
“You've already risked enough.”
She looked at Lucía.
“I helped them hurt you.”
Her voice cracked.
“I need to help you stop them.”
Lucía stepped forward.
“You were afraid.”
“I was.”
“And you still came back.”
Valeria nodded.
Lucía took her hand.
“Then stay.”
The elevator doors opened.
They entered.
The elevator climbed.
Twenty floors.
Thirty.
Forty.
No one spoke.
Then Isabella looked at Alejandro.
“Daddy?”
“Yes?”
“Is Grandpa Gabriel bad?”
Alejandro looked down at her.
He wanted to protect her from the truth.
But he had spent too many years allowing lies to protect his family.
“Yes,” he said softly.
Isabella nodded.
“Okay.”
Daniel looked at her.
“You're not scared?”
She shook her head.
“Mommy and Daddy are here.”
Daniel smiled faintly.
“That's enough.”
The elevator stopped.
The doors opened.
The top floor was empty.
No guards.
No employees.
No sound.
At the far end stood Gabriel.
Beside him was Victor.
Elena was on her knees.
Her wrists were bound.
A bruise covered one side of her face.
Lucía stopped.
“Mom.”
Elena lifted her head.
Her eyes filled with tears.
“Lucía…”
Gabriel smiled.
“You finally came.”
Alejandro stepped forward.
“Let her go.”
Gabriel laughed quietly.
“You still think you can negotiate with me.”
“No.”
Alejandro looked around the room.
“I came to make you an offer.”
Gabriel's smile faded.
“You have nothing left to offer.”
Alejandro held up his phone.
“You're wrong.”
He pressed a button.
A large screen behind Gabriel suddenly turned on.
Bank statements appeared.
Then medical records.
Then photographs.
Then recordings.
Then names.
Hundreds of names.
Gabriel stared at the screen.
Victor turned pale.
“What did you do?”
Alejandro smiled.
“I sent everything.”
Victor grabbed his phone.
“No signal.”
Mateo stepped forward.
“Not anymore.”
Victor looked at him.
“What?”
Mateo's voice was cold.
“Every major news organization, federal investigator, financial regulator, and prosecutor we could reach received copies.”
Gabriel's face hardened.
“You think that matters?”
“It already does.”
Alejandro pointed toward the windows.
Below them, police lights were appearing.
One.
Then five.
Then dozens.
Victor's breathing changed.
Gabriel remained still.
Then he looked at Daniel.
“Come here.”
Daniel didn't move.
Gabriel's voice softened.
“I raised you.”
Daniel stared at him.
“You destroyed me.”
“I made you strong.”
“You made me afraid.”
Gabriel's expression tightened.
“You are my successor.”
Daniel shook his head.
“No.”
Gabriel stepped closer.
“You carry my blood.”
Daniel answered quietly.
“I carry my father's.”
Alejandro's eyes filled with emotion.
Gabriel looked at Isabella.
“And you.”
Isabella moved closer to Lucía.
Gabriel's face became cold.
“You belong to this family.”
Isabella said nothing.
Lucía stepped in front of her.
“She belongs to herself.”
Gabriel raised his gun.
Victor looked shocked.
“Gabriel…”
“Enough.”
He aimed at Lucía.
Alejandro moved.
So did Daniel.
But Elena suddenly threw herself forward.
The gun fired.
Elena collapsed.
“Mom!”
Lucía ran toward her.
Alejandro caught Elena before she hit the floor.
Blood spread across her dress.
Gabriel stared at her.
“You were always weak.”
Elena looked up at him.
“No.”
She coughed.
“I was afraid.”
She looked at Alejandro.
“But I'm not anymore.”
She reached into her sleeve.
A small key fell into Alejandro's hand.
“The vault.”
She whispered.
“Under your father's office.”
Alejandro stared at her.
“What vault?”
“The original records.”
Gabriel's expression changed.
For the first time, genuine panic crossed his face.
Elena smiled weakly.
“I kept one copy.”
Gabriel fired again.
Mateo tackled him.
Victor pulled his weapon.
Daniel charged.
The room erupted.
Glass shattered.
Screams echoed.
Alejandro pulled Lucía behind a concrete column.
Rafael tackled Victor from behind.
Sofia grabbed Elena's hand.
“Stay with me.”
Elena whispered.
“I'm sorry.”
Sofia shook her head.
“Save your strength.”
Across the room, Daniel fought Victor.
Victor was stronger.
He slammed Daniel against the wall.
“You should have stayed obedient!”
Daniel looked at him.
Then at Alejandro.
Then at Lucía.
Something changed in his eyes.
He stopped fighting like someone trained to survive.
He started fighting like someone protecting his family.
Daniel drove Victor backward.
Mateo rushed in.
Together they forced him to the ground.
Handcuffs snapped shut.
Victor screamed.
“You don't understand what Gabriel controls!”
Mateo leaned closer.
“Not anymore.”
Across the room, Gabriel was gone.
Alejandro looked around.
“Where is he?”
Rafael pointed toward the private elevator.
“He's heading for the vault.”
Alejandro looked at Lucía.
She understood immediately.
“The original records.”
He nodded.
“If Gabriel destroys them, he destroys the last proof.”
Lucía touched his arm.
“Then go.”
Alejandro kissed her forehead.
“I'll come back.”
Daniel stepped beside him.
“I’m coming too.”
Alejandro looked at his son.
“No.”
Daniel shook his head.
“He took seven years from me.”
His voice was steady.
“I'm taking them back.”
Alejandro nodded.
Together, father and son entered the elevator.
The doors closed.
Lucía watched them disappear.
Then she looked down at Isabella.
Isabella whispered,
“Daddy will win.”
Lucía hugged her.
“I know.”
But beneath the tower, the vault door was already opening.
Gabriel stood before it.
And behind that door was the one thing he had spent decades killing to protect.
The original ledger of Black Serpent.
The names.
The payments.
The murders.
The children.
The entire truth.
Gabriel reached for it.
Then stopped.
Someone was standing behind him.
Alejandro.
Daniel beside him.
Gabriel slowly turned.
Alejandro raised his phone.
“You should have run.”
Gabriel smiled.
“No.”
His hand closed around the ledger.
“I've been waiting for this moment my entire life.”
Daniel stepped forward.
“Then it's over.”
Gabriel looked at him.
“No.”
He smiled.
“It's just beginning.”
Then he opened the ledger.
May you like
And the first page contained a name none of them expected.
ALEJANDRO MONTERO.
