I stilled, my heart stopping for a beat, the weight of his words crushing down on me like a collapsing building. My mind reeled, flashes of my own suffering intertwining with hers. And then another realization struck—Sergio wasn’t just any monster. He was the father of the woman who had orchestrated my ruin, Serena De Santis-Russo. My mind screamed at me to process, to react, but all I felt was an overwhelming numbness spreading through my veins.
“She was his niece.” The revelation was a dagger to my gut, twisting deeper with every second. My breath hitched, nausea coiling in my stomach. This wasn’t just about revenge anymore. This was about the tangled web of power and cruelty that had ruined both Francheska and me. Sergio had destroyed his own niece, and his daughter had ensured my downfall. The De Santis family had orchestrated both of our tragedies.
My stomach lurched. If I became Francheska, I wouldn’t just be playing Hector’s wife—I would be walking straight into the den of the family that had stolen everything from me. Sergio had tormented Francheska until she took her own life, and Serena had torn mine apart without a second thought. Now, I would be playing the role of a woman who had suffered at the hands of the very man whose daughter had helped orchestrate my destruction. I would be walking into the lion’s den, living the life of a woman who had been violated by the same man who had ruined mine.
And there was no backing out now. The stakes had shifted. My revenge was no longer just about me—it was about Francheska, about Hector, about justice for the innocent lives Sergio had shattered.
I clenched my fists, my resolve solidifying like steel.
I wasn’t just going to take them down.
I was going to make them suffer. Sergio. Serena. And Antonio.
Four years.
Four years had passed since Alicia Costa ceased to exist. In those years, I had become Francheska Falcon. I had learned everything about her, even with the smallest details, like how she walked, how she spoke, how she carried herself. I had buried Alicia so deep within me that even I sometimes forgot who I truly was.