Chapter 9 - Ricardo’s Impossible Choice
Ricardo stared at the documents on Juliana’s table.
For several seconds, he did not move.
He did not speak.
He simply looked at the pages in front of him.
Because after everything he had discovered, he believed he finally understood the truth.
He believed Beatriz had been the victim.
He believed Juliana and his father were the reason his family was destroyed.
But now there was another question.
Another secret.
Another possibility.
Juliana watched his expression carefully.
“You see?”
Her voice was quiet.
“She wasn’t completely honest either.”
Ricardo slowly picked up the documents.
They were hospital records.
Medical reports.
Birth information.
A series of notes from the night the children were born.
His eyes moved across the pages.
Then he stopped.
One sentence caught his attention.
“Father not informed due to mother’s request.”
Ricardo looked up.
“What is this?”
Juliana crossed her arms.
“The truth.”
“No.”
His voice was firm.
“I need to hear it from Beatriz.”
Juliana laughed softly.
“Of course you do.”
Ricardo ignored her.
Because he had learned something important.
For years, he had allowed other people to tell him what happened.
His father.
Juliana.
Society.
Everyone except the person who was actually there.
He would not make that mistake again.
When Ricardo arrived at Beatriz’s home, she immediately knew something was wrong.
His expression was different.
Not angry.
Not accusing.
Confused.
“What happened?”
Ricardo placed the documents on the table.
“Explain this.”
Beatriz looked down.
The moment she saw the papers, her face changed.
A painful silence followed.
“You found them.”
Ricardo stared at her.
“You knew about these?”
“Yes.”
The honesty shocked him.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Beatriz sat down slowly.
“Because I was afraid.”
“Afraid of what?”
She looked at him.
“Of losing them.”
Ricardo frowned.
“Losing who?”
“Our children.”
The answer confused him.
“Beatriz…”
She took a deep breath.
“When they were born, I tried to contact you.”
Ricardo listened.
“But every message disappeared.”
She looked away.
“I called your office.”
“No one told me.”
“I sent letters.”
“I never received them.”
“I went to the mansion.”
Ricardo froze.
“When?”
“The day after Clara was born.”
He stared at her.
“What happened?”
Beatriz’s eyes filled with pain.
“Your father’s security team stopped me.”
Ricardo felt anger rising.
“But why hide this from me?”
“Because I realized something.”
She looked directly at him.
“Every path leading to you was controlled by people who wanted me gone.”
The room became quiet.
Ricardo understood.
The records did not prove Beatriz betrayed him.
They proved she had been trapped.
“But why didn’t you keep trying?”
Beatriz smiled sadly.
“Because after years of fighting, I became tired.”
She touched the table.
“I was raising three babies alone.”
Her voice trembled.
“I had no money. No support. No way to fight a family as powerful as yours.”
Ricardo lowered his head.
The pain returned.
Not because she had hidden something.
Because he realized how alone she had been.
That night, Ricardo faced the hardest decision of his life.
He had two choices.
He could protect his reputation.
Pretend nothing happened.
Continue his marriage with Juliana.
Maintain the image everyone expected.
Or he could destroy everything he built.
Admit publicly that he was wrong.
Expose his own family.
Accept the consequences.
His lawyer warned him.
“If you accuse your father publicly, the company will suffer.”
Ricardo sat silently.
“My shares?”
“Could drop.”
“My reputation?”
“Destroyed.”
“My business?”
“Possibly damaged beyond repair.”
Ricardo looked out the window.
For years, he had measured success by what he owned.
Now he understood success was about what kind of person he was.
“Prepare the statement.”
His lawyer looked surprised.
May you like
“What statement?”
“The truth.”
