Chapter 3 - I Want to Make a Report
Carmen had been too arrogant to see it.
Now the suite felt smaller.
Carmen slowly released Sofia’s hair.
“You’re making a mistake,” she said.
Sofia sat up, still holding the phone.
“No. I almost made one.”
Javier stepped farther into the room.
“Give me the phone.”
Sofia stood carefully from the bed.
Her cheek burned.
Her lip throbbed.
The lace at her waist was torn.
But her voice stayed steady.
“No.”
One of the women near the window whispered, “Javier, let it go.”
He snapped, “Shut up.”
That was recorded too.
Sofia looked at each woman in the room.
“A minute ago, you were laughing.”
No one answered.
“That means you all knew this was wrong.”
Carmen lifted her chin.
“It was discipline.”
Sofia almost smiled despite the pain.
“I’m not your child.”
“You are my son’s wife.”
“And that gives you what right?”
Carmen’s mouth tightened.
Javier answered instead.
“It gives us the right to protect the family.”
Sofia looked at him.
“From me?”
“From your selfishness.”
“My condo is selfish?”
“You don’t need it.”
“I own it.”
“We need it more.”
There it was.
Not love.
Need.
The confession under the confession.
Sofia took one step toward the doorway.
Javier blocked it.
“You’re not leaving with that phone.”
Sofia looked past him.
The hallway outside the suite was quiet, but not empty.
The hotel’s private security elevator had opened minutes earlier.
Javier did not know that.
Carmen did not know that.
Elise Monroe had received the live audio feed as soon as Sofia tapped the emergency shortcut before dropping the transfer papers.
Elise called hotel security.
Then the Dallas police.
Then Sofia’s mother.
The first knock came at the door before Javier could reach for Sofia.
Three sharp knocks.
“Hotel security.”
Javier froze.
Carmen’s eyes flashed.
“Do not open that door.”
Sofia said, “It’s open.”
She had left it cracked on purpose when Carmen pushed inside earlier.
A security manager entered first.
Tall.
Professional.
Hands visible.
Behind him stood a female hotel security officer and, farther back, two uniformed Dallas police officers.
Javier’s face changed.
Carmen stepped back.
Sofia lifted the phone.
“I want to make a report.”
Javier laughed once.
It sounded desperate.
“Against your husband on our wedding night?”
Sofia looked at him.
“Yes.”
The word landed like glass.
Carmen rushed in.
“She is emotional. She has been drinking champagne.”
The security manager looked at Sofia’s untouched glass on the nightstand.
Then at the split lip.
Then at the phone.
“Ma’am, do you need medical assistance?”
Sofia swallowed.
“Yes. But first, I need this recording preserved.”
The female officer stepped forward gently.
“We can do that.”
Javier said, “This is a private family matter.”
The officer looked at him.
“Assault and coercion are not private because you put them in a hotel suite.”
One of the women in black started crying.
Another whispered, “I told you this was too much.”
Carmen turned on her.
“Quiet.”
Sofia looked at the officer.
May you like
“She admitted it was discipline. He said not to bruise my face too badly. The papers are on the bed.”
The officer glanced at the transfer documents.
