The flash drive had sat untouched for years—buried beneath broken floorboards in an abandoned apartment on the edge of Tlalpan. Mold had crept around the edges, but the seal hadn't cracked. Mateo placed it on the table like a holy artifact.
Valentina stared at it. Her hands didn't move, but her heart raced like a hunted animal.
"This… this was in my father's study?" she asked, her voice tight.
Mateo nodded. "Hidden inside an old photo frame. We swept the place again after that intel drop from Alejandro's source. He wanted you to find this."
Valentina exhaled slowly. "Then let's see what secrets my father died protecting."
The Code That Broke a King
The flash drive opened with a whisper of code. Lucia typed rapidly, breaking through the first two encryption layers. Then a wall of jagged numbers and ciphers slammed on the screen.
"What the hell is this?" she muttered.
Valentina leaned forward. "It's not just encrypted. It's personal."
Lucia blinked. "What do you mean?"
"It's his handwriting," Valentina said, pointing at the algorithm. "My father used to make me solve puzzles with these patterns. He hid the key in our childhood."
Mateo raised a brow. "You mean you can crack it?"
Valentina smirked. "I already am."
One Hour Later
The screen blinked.
ACCESS GRANTED.
The room froze as files unfolded like a blooming flower—videos, transaction records, off-shore account maps, emails… and one folder labeled "Veracruz Legacy."
Valentina clicked it.
Inside were birth certificates. One for her. One for a girl named Sofia Herrera. Both bore the same father: Rafael Veracruz—the name her father left behind when he disappeared into a new life as Manuel Cruz.
Lucia gasped. "No. It can't be."
Valentina stood, numb. "Sofia is my half-sister…"
"And Xavier's not your only enemy," Mateo added. "He's your uncle."
Flashback: A Betrayal in Blood
An old video clip flickered to life. Two men—Rafael and Xavier—young, rich, and powerful, clinked glasses in a golden-lit office.
"This family will rule Mexico," Xavier said.
"And our daughters will inherit peace," Rafael replied.
The screen flickered again—an audio file.
Xavier's voice: "He's getting soft. Talking about leaving. About peace. I'll end it before he ruins everything."
Valentina's fingers clenched. Her father wasn't just a victim—he was betrayed by his own blood.
A New War Map
The next file was a digital blueprint of Xavier's cartel network: names, locations, dirty politicians, laundered billions.
Valentina leaned in, eyes sharp as daggers.
"This… is how we dismantle him."
"But it'll trigger a war like nothing before," Lucia warned.
"Good," Valentina whispered. "I'm ready."
Meanwhile – Alejandro Watches
From a private office in Polanco, Alejandro Reyes watched the security footage of Valentina unlocking the drive.
He smiled faintly. "So the blood of Veracruz awakens…"
His assistant frowned. "You think she'll follow your plan?"
Alejandro sipped his wine. "No. She'll destroy my plan. And then she'll build something far more dangerous."
End Scene – A Queen's Vow
That night, Valentina stood alone, the desert wind whipping her long hair behind her. The stars glistened like silent witnesses.
She clutched her father's old pendant in one hand, the flash drive in the other.
"You were right to hide the truth," she whispered. "But now it's mine. All of it."
She looked out toward the dark horizon.
"The blood. The name. The vengeance. I'll wear it like a crown."