I hesitated, then answered.
"Hello?"
A deep, unfamiliar male voice replied, calm and firm.
"Hello, Sophia. I'm Marcus. I think it's time we met."
My breath caught in my throat.
The mysterious assistant had finally revealed himself.
But would this encounter bring answers... or open another door to shock?
We agreed to meet the following afternoon at the same Maple Leaf Café.
Alex wanted to come, but I refused. I needed to face this alone and hear the truth for myself.
I arrived early. The café was small and cozy, decorated in a vintage style. I chose a table near the window where I could see the street.
My heart raced with anticipation and fear.
At the agreed-upon time, a tall man in a simple but elegant white shirt entered, scanned the room, and walked straight toward me.
His face was firm and intelligent. His deep eyes seemed to hold a lifetime of stories.
“Hello, Sophia,” he said, extending his hand. “I’m Marcus.”
His voice matched the one on the phone: deep, warm, firm.
I shook his hand. “Hello. Thank you for coming… and thank you for everything.”
Marcus smiled, but there was sadness behind it. “You’re welcome. I just did what I thought was right.”
We sat down.
After a few seconds of awkward silence, I got straight to the point.
“Mr. Marcus,” I said, “I don’t understand why you helped us… and how you knew Dr. Ramirez’s plans so well.”
Marcus stared out the window for a long time, as if deciding how much truth he could bear.
Then he turned to me and said the phrase that shocked me even more than discovering Isabella’s conspiracy.
“Because,” Marcus said quietly, “Romero Vargas is my biological father.”
I felt a jolt run through my veins.
