Chapter 4 — Brenda's Dream Mansion
Chapter 4 — Brenda's Dream Mansion
Brenda Carter had never been good at waiting.
She wanted things quickly.
Attention quickly.
Money quickly.
Love quickly.
And above all, she wanted Mariana's life.
She had wanted it long before Andrew ever promised it to her.
That morning, however, Brenda discovered something she had never considered.
A dream could disappear before you even had the chance to live inside it.
At 7:45 a.m., Brenda stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling mirror in the guest suite of the Whitmore mansion.
She was wearing the crimson dress from the previous night.
The same dress she had worn while watching Andrew slap his wife.
She remembered Mariana's expression.
Not fear.
Not tears.
That strange, quiet smile.
Brenda had laughed at it then.
Now she couldn't stop thinking about it.
Her phone buzzed.
She picked it up.
A message from Andrew.
Don't leave the house. I'm handling everything.
Brenda smiled.
Of course he was.
Andrew always handled everything.
At least, that's what she had believed.
She walked downstairs.
The mansion looked different in the morning.
The marble floors were still polished.
The chandeliers still glittered.
The flowers were still arranged perfectly.
But something felt wrong.
The servants were whispering.
When Brenda entered the dining room, everyone stopped talking.
She frowned.
"What?"
No one answered.
One of the older servants lowered her eyes.
Brenda sat down.
"Where's breakfast?"
The servant hesitated.
"Mrs. Whitmore hasn't given instructions."
Brenda laughed.
"Mrs. Whitmore?"
The woman said nothing.
Brenda's smile disappeared.
"You mean Margaret."
The servant nodded.
"Yes, ma'am."
Brenda leaned back.
"Then call her."
A few minutes later, Margaret entered.
She wasn't wearing makeup.
Her hair was disheveled.
She looked exhausted.
Brenda stood.
"Margaret, what happened?"
Margaret didn't answer.
She walked straight to the table and sat down.
"Is Andrew coming?"
"I don't know."
"Did he call?"
"Yes."
"Is everything okay?"
Margaret looked at her.
"No."
Brenda's heart skipped.
"What do you mean?"
Margaret's hands trembled.
"All my accounts are frozen."
Brenda stared.
"What?"
"My cards don't work."
"Maybe the bank—"
"Don't."
Margaret slammed her palm against the table.
"It's not the bank."
Brenda fell silent.
Margaret's voice dropped.
"It's her."
"Mariana?"
"Who else?"
Brenda's expression hardened.
"She can't do this."
Margaret looked at her.
"Apparently, she can."
At 8:30 a.m., Brenda tried to use her credit card.
Declined.
She tried another.
Declined.
A third.
Declined.
Her face went pale.
She immediately called Andrew.
No answer.
Again.
No answer.
She called his office.
The receptionist told her he was unavailable.
She called his assistant.
No response.
Finally, she called the bank.
A calm voice answered.
"Mrs. Carter, your account is currently restricted."
"Why?"
"I don't have that information."
"I need access to my money."
"I'm sorry."
Brenda clenched her jaw.
"You don't understand who I am."
The woman paused.
"Actually, Mrs. Carter, I believe we do."
The call ended.
Brenda stared at the phone.
For the first time, she felt afraid.
At 9:05 a.m., two security guards entered the mansion.
Margaret stood immediately.
"What are you doing here?"
One of them held a folder.
"Mrs. Whitmore?"
"Yes."
"We've been instructed to inventory certain assets."
Margaret's face changed.
"By whom?"
"Escalante Holdings."
Brenda stepped forward.
"Mariana?"
The guard nodded.
"Yes."
Margaret laughed bitterly.
"She doesn't own this house."
The guard opened the folder.
"Actually, she does."
Silence.
Brenda looked at Margaret.
Margaret looked back.
Neither woman spoke.
The guard continued.
"The property is held under the Escalante Family Trust."
Margaret's lips parted.
"That's impossible."
He handed her a copy of the deed.
She stared at the document.
Her hands began to shake.
The name was unmistakable.
Mariana Escalante.
Margaret whispered:
"No."
Brenda took the document from her.
She read it.
Then read it again.
"How?"
The guard answered simply.
"That's not my department."
He turned toward the hallway.
"We're here to inventory the property."
Brenda suddenly understood.
This wasn't their home anymore.
It never had been.
At the same time, Mariana was sitting in her father's office.
Daniel placed another folder before her.
"The investigation into the necklace is progressing."
Mariana nodded.
"And Brenda?"
"We've traced several payments."
"From Andrew?"
"Yes."
"To her?"
"Yes."
Mariana opened the file.
There were hotel bills.
Jewelry purchases.
Luxury apartments.
Private travel.
And one payment that made her stop.
A transfer of eight million dollars.
"What's this?"
Daniel pointed to the account.
"Shell company."
"Whose?"
"We're still tracing it."
Mariana frowned.
"Find out."
Daniel nodded.
Then his phone rang.
He listened for several seconds.
His expression changed.
"What?"
He looked at Mariana.
"We have a problem."
"What kind?"
"The press has obtained the story."
Mariana's eyes narrowed.
"Which story?"
"Everything."
He handed her the phone.
News alerts filled the screen.
WHITMORE GLOBAL CEO REMOVED FROM COMPANY
MYSTERY WOMAN REVEALED AS CONTROLLING OWNER
WHO IS MARIANA ESCALANTE?
Mariana stared at the headlines.
Daniel asked:
"Should we issue a statement?"
Mariana shook her head.
"No."
"Why?"
"Because Andrew will speak first."
Daniel understood.
"And then?"
Mariana closed the phone.
"We let him."
Andrew did exactly what she expected.
At 10:15 a.m., he stepped outside Whitmore Global.
Reporters surrounded him.
Microphones appeared.
Cameras flashed.
"Mr. Whitmore!"
"Are you still CEO?"
"Is your wife responsible for the takeover?"
"Did you assault her?"
Andrew's face hardened.
"I have no comment."
"Is your marriage over?"
"No comment."
"Did you order Mariana Escalante to kneel?"
Andrew stopped.
The crowd became silent.
He turned toward the reporter.
"That is a private family matter."
The reporter continued.
"Is it true?"
Andrew said nothing.
That silence became tomorrow's headline.
Back at the mansion, Brenda watched the interview on television.
Her hands were shaking.
Margaret stood behind her.
"He'll fix this."
Brenda turned.
"Will he?"
Margaret frowned.
"What kind of question is that?"
"You said Mariana had nothing."
"She didn't."
"Then why does she own the house?"
Margaret's expression hardened.
"Because she manipulated Andrew."
Brenda laughed.
"Andrew is not easy to manipulate."
Margaret stared at her.
Brenda continued.
"He's arrogant."
"He's stubborn."
"And he's obsessed with money."
Margaret said nothing.
Brenda looked toward the windows.
"I think she knew exactly what she was doing."
At noon, Brenda received an email.
She opened it.
Her blood ran cold.
NOTICE OF ASSET RESTRICTION
She scrolled.
A list of properties appeared.
Apartment.
Car.
Investment account.
Jewelry account.
Everything connected to Andrew.
Everything she had believed would become hers.
She immediately called him.
This time he answered.
"What?"
"Andrew!"
"What?"
"My accounts."
"I'm dealing with it."
"No, you're not."
He was silent.
Brenda's voice trembled.
"They're freezing everything."
"I know."
"How much can you access?"
"Nothing."
Brenda closed her eyes.
"Nothing?"
"Not right now."
She sat down.
"What does that mean?"
Andrew didn't answer.
"Andrew."
"I said I'm handling it."
"How?"
"I'll find a lawyer."
"You don't have money."
Silence.
Brenda realized what she had said.
Andrew's voice became cold.
"Be careful."
She swallowed.
"I'm sorry."
"You should be."
The call ended.
Brenda stared at the screen.
She had never heard Andrew sound afraid before.
That afternoon, Mariana made a decision.
"Bring Brenda to me."
Daniel looked surprised.
"Here?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
Mariana looked at the bruise on her cheek.
"Because I want to hear the truth from her mouth."
At 4:30 p.m., Brenda arrived at Escalante Headquarters.
The building was enormous.
Modern.
Elegant.
Quiet.
She had never been there before.
The receptionist stood.
"Mrs. Carter?"
"Yes."
"She's expecting you."
Brenda followed an assistant through a private corridor.
When the door opened, Mariana was standing by the window.
Brenda stopped.
For several seconds, neither woman spoke.
Mariana turned.
"Sit."
Brenda sat.
Mariana remained standing.
"You wanted Andrew."
Brenda's face flushed.
"I love him."
Mariana nodded.
"I know."
"I didn't know he was going to hurt you."
Mariana's eyes sharpened.
"You were standing beside him."
Brenda lowered her eyes.
"I was angry."
"At me?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
Brenda looked up.
"Because he chose you."
Mariana almost smiled.
"He never chose me."
"What?"
"He chose the life I built for him."
Brenda said nothing.
Mariana walked to the desk.
She placed a folder in front of Brenda.
"Open it."
Brenda hesitated.
Then she did.
Her eyes widened.
Inside were photographs.
Hotel rooms.
Private dinners.
Transfers.
Messages.
Documents.
Everything.
Brenda's face became pale.
"You've been investigating me."
"For six months."
Brenda looked up.
"Six months?"
Mariana nodded.
"I knew about you before you knew how much Andrew had."
Brenda stared at her.
"Then why didn't you stop us?"
Mariana sat down.
"Because I wanted to know how far he'd go."
Brenda's eyes filled with tears.
"You could have stopped him."
"Yes."
"You could have exposed us."
"Yes."
"You could have destroyed me."
Mariana's expression remained calm.
"I still can."
Brenda looked at the folder.
"What do you want?"
"The truth."
"About what?"
"Did you know about the money?"
Brenda hesitated.
"What money?"
"The transfers."
Brenda shook her head.
"I knew he bought things for me."
"Eight million dollars?"
Brenda's face changed.
"I didn't know."
"Did you sign documents?"
"Yes."
"What did he tell you?"
"Investment papers."
Mariana watched her carefully.
"Did you read them?"
"No."
"Why?"
Brenda looked ashamed.
"Because I trusted him."
For the first time, Mariana understood something.
Brenda wasn't innocent.
But she wasn't the mastermind either.
She had wanted a wealthy man's love.
Andrew had wanted a woman who admired him.
And both had underestimated the woman they thought was weak.
Mariana pushed another document toward her.
Brenda looked at it.
"What is this?"
"Your apartment."
Brenda's eyes widened.
"What about it?"
"It's owned by a company connected to Andrew."
"So?"
"The company is under investigation."
Brenda's face went pale.
"If the assets are seized..."
"You could lose it."
Brenda stared at Mariana.
"You're going to take everything from me."
"No."
Mariana leaned forward.
"You did that yourself."
Brenda's eyes filled with tears.
"What do you want me to do?"
"Tell the truth."
"About Andrew?"
"Everything."
Brenda shook her head.
"He'll destroy me."
Mariana's expression hardened.
"He already did."
Silence.
Brenda wiped her tears.
"And if I tell you?"
"I'll protect what belongs to you."
"Why?"
"Because I'm not Andrew."
Brenda looked at her.
Mariana continued.
"But if you lie to me..."
She paused.
"...you will stand beside him when he falls."
Brenda stared at the woman in front of her.
Then slowly nodded.
"I'll tell you everything."
That evening, Brenda returned to the mansion.
Margaret was waiting.
"What did she want?"
Brenda didn't answer.
Margaret stepped closer.
"What did Mariana say?"
Brenda looked at her.
"She knew."
Margaret frowned.
"Knew what?"
"Everything."
Margaret's face went pale.
Brenda whispered:
"She knew about me six months ago."
Margaret sat down.
"Impossible."
"No."
Brenda shook her head.
"She knew."
Margaret's mind raced.
"Then why did she stay?"
Brenda looked toward the staircase.
"Because she was waiting."
"For what?"
Brenda's voice trembled.
"For Andrew to show her who he really was."
Margaret suddenly remembered the smile Mariana had given them the night before.
Her stomach turned.
That hadn't been madness.
It had been closure.
At 11:48 p.m., Mariana sat alone in her office.
The city lights stretched beneath her.
Daniel entered.
"We have confirmation."
"About the necklace?"
"Yes."
Mariana turned.
"The person who planted it was Margaret's assistant."
"Who ordered her?"
Daniel placed a photograph on the desk.
Mariana looked at it.
The assistant had been meeting someone.
A man.
Andrew's head of security.
Mariana's eyes narrowed.
"Andrew?"
Daniel shook his head.
"We don't know."
"Find out."
"There is one more thing."
"What?"
"The security footage shows someone else entering the house that night."
"Who?"
Daniel looked at her.
"Brenda."
Mariana's expression changed.
"She wasn't there to plant the necklace."
"Then why was she there?"
Mariana stood.
She looked toward the city.
"I don't know."
Daniel asked:
"Should we confront her?"
Mariana shook her head.
"No."
"Why?"
"Because tomorrow she'll tell us."
Across the city, Brenda sat alone in her bedroom.
She opened her handbag.
Inside was a small velvet box.
Her hands trembled.
She slowly opened it.
The emerald necklace was inside.
The same necklace everyone believed had disappeared.
Brenda stared at it in horror.
She had never stolen it.
She had never planted it.
She had never even known it was in her bag.
But now it was there.
She closed the box.
Then her phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
One message.
You should have listened to me.
Another message appeared.
If you tell Mariana the truth, Andrew won't be the only one who loses everything.
Brenda's hands went cold.
She stared at the screen.
Then another message arrived.
Tomorrow, bring the necklace to the old chapel. Come alone.
Brenda looked toward the bedroom door.
For the first time, she understood that she wasn't standing between Andrew and Mariana.
May you like
She was standing in the middle of something much darker.
And somewhere in the shadows, someone had been manipulating all of them from the beginning.
