Chapter 2 - THE MIDNIGHT ESCAPE
The brass doorknob turned with agonizing slowness. Valeria shoved the bloodied pillow into her oversized medical bag, scooped Mateo’s frail, trembling body into her arms, and slipped behind the heavy velvet drapes just as the door clicked open. A sliver of moonlight revealed the intruder: it wasn't Alejandro, but rather the estate's chief medical officer, Dr. Uriel Ledesma, clutching a syringe filled with a milky liquid. He stared at the empty bed, his jaw clenching as he realized his prey was gone. Valeria held her breath, pressing Mateo’s face into her chest so the child wouldn't make a sound. When Ledesma stepped into the adjoining bathroom to search, Valeria bolted silently into the carpeted hallway, fleeing into the cavernous depths of the Salvatierra mansion.
