Héctor laughed nervously. « Mariana is an orphan. »
Catalina raised her hand.
Six lawyers entered carrying briefcases. One placed a thick file on the judge’s table.
“Evidence of fraud, forged documents, identity theft, manipulated civil records, bribery and embezzlement,” he said.
Judge Rivas began to sweat. Héctor’s smile vanished.
The lawyer continued: 28 years ago, Catalina’s newborn daughter was declared dead after an arson attack. The death certificate was forged. Social workers were bribed, and registries were manipulated.
Court representation services
And the child was placed in foster care under the name Mariana Torres.
My knees gave way.
My whole life I had believed I had been abandoned.
But I had been stolen.
Catalina looked at me, completely shaken.
« I never stopped looking for you. »
Héctor slammed his fist on the table. « This is madness! »
Family law resources
But the lawyer continued. Years earlier, Héctor’s company had discovered a genetic match that connected me to the Aranda family. Instead of reporting this, he found me, orchestrated a romance, isolated me, married me, and gained access to a trust belonging to the Aranda heiress.
