Chapter 53 Treading Dangerous Waters

The cemetery was eerily silent, the wind carrying the scent of damp earth and fading flowers. Mariana stood before the polished marble headstone, her fingers trembling as she traced her father’s name. Alejandro Castillo, a name once feared, now reduced to a whisper in the shadows. The weight of his legacy pressed down on her, suffocating. “I did everything you wanted, Papi,” she whispered, her voice raw. “I exposed them, tore down their empire, but…” She inhaled sharply, eyes burning. “It didn’t bring you back. It didn’t fix anything.”