Chapter 18 - The False Victory
Juliana’s lawsuit changed everything.
For weeks, Ricardo and Beatriz believed the battle was almost finished.
They had exposed the truth.
They had cleared Beatriz’s name.
They had rebuilt their family.
But Juliana’s legal team introduced a new argument.
They claimed Juliana had also been controlled by Ricardo’s father.
They claimed she had been young.
Influenced.
Manipulated.
And surprisingly…
Some of the evidence was real.
Ricardo struggled to accept it.
Because two things could be true at the same time.
Juliana had harmed Beatriz.
And Juliana had also been used.
During the first court hearing, Juliana appeared different.
No expensive clothes.
No confident smile.
No performance.
She looked exhausted.
When asked why she had kept silent for so long, she answered honestly.
“Because I was afraid.”
The judge asked:
“Afraid of what?”
Juliana looked down.
“Of losing everything.”
A pause.
“I thought if I admitted the truth, I would lose Ricardo.”
The courtroom remained silent.
“But the truth is…”
Her voice broke.
“I lost him because I refused to tell it.”
Ricardo listened carefully.
Part of him wanted to hate her.
It would have been easier.
But life was not that simple.
People were not only heroes or villains.
Sometimes they were both.
After the hearing, Juliana approached him.
“I don’t expect forgiveness.”
Ricardo looked at her.
“Good.”
She nodded.
“Because I don’t deserve it yet.”
That answer surprised him.
“You finally understand.”
“Yes.”
She looked toward Beatriz and the children.
“I destroyed something beautiful because I wanted something that was never mine.”
Ricardo remained silent.
“I’m sorry.”
For the first time, the apology sounded real.
Not strategic.
Not calculated.
Just regret.
However, the court case revealed one final mystery.
During the investigation, lawyers discovered hidden accounts connected to Ricardo’s father.
Millions of dollars transferred years ago.
The destination?
A private foundation.
The purpose?
Unknown.
Ricardo looked at the documents.
“What was my father doing?”
Nobody knew.
Until one name appeared.
A name nobody expected.
Beatriz’s doctor.
The doctor who treated her during pregnancy.
Ricardo felt cold.
“What does he have to do with this?”
The lawyer looked serious.
“We don’t know yet.”
“But?”
“But someone paid him to keep a secret.”
That night, Ricardo and Beatriz sat together.
Not romantically.
Not like the past.
Like two people who had survived something impossible.
“We thought we knew everything.”
Beatriz whispered.
Ricardo shook his head.
“No.”
He looked at the evidence.
“We only found the beginning.”
Because after everything they had uncovered…
One question remained.
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What secret had Ricardo’s father paid millions to protect?
And why was it still hidden after all these years?
