Page 97 of Silent Oaths
Isabelstiffens next toJulian, her eyes wide, mouth slightly parted, but she doesn’t interrupt.Shehas been waiting for this too.
Ourmother exhales. “Soyou finally figured it out.”
Juliansits up straighter.Maxwell’sfingers twitch against his armrest.Isabeldoesn’t move, butIcan feel the tension rippling off her like a current.
Ilean forward. “Speak.”
Mothersighs, smoothing a nonexistent wrinkle in her skirt before finally raising her eyes to meet mine.
“Iwas bornCelesteSotelo,” she says, as if reciting a name from a storybook, not one tied to blood rituals and disappearances. “Thelast daughter ofMateoSotelo.Hewas a visionary in his own right.Brilliant.Ruthless.”
“Anda monster,”Isnap.
“Yes.Thattoo.”
Sheglances toward the window, as if watching the past play out in the trees.
“Iwas married beforeLionel,” she says finally. “Toa man who was perfect on paper.Wealthy.Respected.Hewas from a good family.Thekind of match my parents approved of.”
Shepauses, fingers tightening slightly in her lap.
“Wemarried after a few short months.Itwas... fine.Hegave me everything a woman is supposed to want.”
Motherlooks down, and for the first time,Isee the cracks in her composure.
“ButIdidn’t love him.”Hervoice dips. “Then,ImetLionel.”
Thename alone makes something sharp twist in my gut.
“Hewas magnetic,” she continues. “Charming.Heknew how to talk, how to listen.Ishouldn’t have given him a second glance, butIdid.AndonceIdid…Icouldn’t stop.”
Shelifts her eyes, meeting mine. “Wewere reckless.Iwas still married, butIkept seeing him.Sneakingaway.Lying.Then,Ifound outIwas pregnant.”
Julianshifts beside me, his jaw tight, andMaxwellgoes unnervingly still.
“Atthe time, divorce would’ve destroyed my family,” she explains. “Especiallyif they knewI’dbeen unfaithful and gotten pregnant by another man.AWhitmore.”Shegives a bitter smile. “That’swhenLionelcame up with an idea…”
AndIalready know—Ifeel it in my bones.Whatevershe’s about to say is going to change everything.
“Afew weeks afterIgave birth,” she says calmly, as if she’s not about to detonate every remaining truth we have, “LionelandImade a plan.”
Ishift forward, a tight coil of dread winding in my gut.
“Hesaid if we wanted a clean slate and we wanted to raise our son without the weight of scandal or shame, we’d need to erase everything.Mymarriage.Myfamily name.Thechild’s illegitimacy.”
Julian’sjaw ticks beside me.Maxwelldoesn’t move, butIcan see the storm brewing behind his eyes.
“Westaged a car accident.”
Mypulse spikes.
Shefolds her hands in her lap, perfectly poised. “Itwas supposed to look likeI, my husband, and the baby were all in the vehicle.Atragic, fatal accident.Thekind no one questions.”
Isabel’sbreath catches.Iglance at her.Shehas gone pale, arms wrapped tightly around her own torso, like she’s bracing for impact.
“Butthat night, only my husband and another woman were in the car, a womanLionelconvinced him to drive home after some fabricated excuse.Thevehicle crashed, went off the road.”
Juliansits bolt upright. “Youweren’t even in the car?”
