Valeria sobbed anew. Alejandro fell to his knees before Lupita. “If what you say is true, you’ve saved my children.”
The girl hesitated, glancing around before lowering her voice:
“There’s one more thing… A woman, always elegant, in a nice car, chestnut hair, expensive perfume, watches the shelter.
Sometimes she cries, but she seems… afraid.”
“Afraid of what?” Valeria asked. “Like she’s done something terrible,” Lupita said.
Alejandro’s fists clenched. The description matched someone from his past: his former partner, Camila Torres—brilliant, ambitious, dangerous, and perhaps connected to the “death” of his children.
“Can you take us to the shelter?” Alejandro asked.
“The director doesn’t let just anyone in,” Lupita hesitated.
“Don’t worry,” Alejandro said, pulling out his phone. “If our children are alive, we’ll find them tonight.”
Lupita smiled. “They always say their dad will find them.
Mateo keeps saying, ‘My dad is strong. He never gives up.’”
An hour later, Alejandro’s car arrived at the modest shelter. Lupita pointed to the door.
Alejandro knocked. A woman opened it:
“Good evening. How can I help you?” Before she could answer, two small voices called out: “Santi… come here.” “Mateo, wait!”
Valeria screamed.
Two boys appeared, their eyes wide, bracelets gleaming blue and green. “DADDY!” they shouted, running into Alejandro’s arms.
Valeria collapsed to her knees, crying. Alejandro held the twins tightly, realizing no amount of money could ever replace this.
That night, he vowed that Lupita—the girl who had saved his children—would never sleep on the streets again.
She, too, would have a family.
