Chapter 2: Family Obligations

Gabriel barely slept that night.

After receiving the news of his mother's death, he had spent hours staring at the city lights from his office before eventually returning home. Sleep had come in fragments, interrupted by memories he could never fully grasp. Faces appeared and disappeared in his dreams. A woman hummed softly somewhere in the distance. A child laughed. Then, everything faded before he could hold onto it.

By the time morning arrived, he was already dressed and standing in the study of his estate.

The house was enormous, far larger than any man living alone, truly needed. The walls were lined with bookshelves and expensive artwork collected over the years. Every piece had been carefully chosen to reflect the image Gabriel had spent decades building: successful, disciplined, and respectable.

Yet despite all its elegance, the house felt empty.

His gaze drifted to the grandfather clock standing in the corner.

Mateo will be arriving soon.

Right on time.

Gabriel glanced at his watch.

Three minutes later, the doorbell rang.

A small smile tugged at his lips.

Some habits never changed.

When they were children, Mateo had always hated being late. If school began at eight, he would be ready by seven. If dinner was at six, he would be seated by five fifty-five. Their father used to praise him for it constantly.

The memory surfaced unexpectedly.

Gabriel immediately pushed it away.

The butler opened the door, and moments later, Mateo entered the living room.

At forty-one, he looked almost exactly as Gabriel remembered. His dark hair was neatly combed, his suit perfectly fitted, and his expression carried the same permanent irritation he seemed to wear whenever family was involved.

He embraced Gabriel briefly before stepping back.

"You look terrible."

Gabriel chuckled.

"And it's good to see you too."

"I'm serious."

"It's been a long week."

Mateo removed his coat and handed it to the butler.

"Mother dies, and suddenly we're all expected to play happy family."

Gabriel sighed inwardly.

The conversation had barely begun.

"Sit down."

Mateo did, though not before muttering something under his breath.

The two brothers sat in silence for a moment.

Neither knew what to say.

Death had a way of forcing people together even when they had spent years growing apart.

"Did they say how it happened?" Mateo eventually asked.

"No."

"I suppose it doesn't matter."

Gabriel looked at him.

"It still matters."

Mateo laughed bitterly.

"To who?"

The question hung in the air.

Gabriel didn't answer because he wasn't entirely sure himself.

Before either could continue, another vehicle entered the driveway.

Daniel.

The youngest of the brothers.

Gabriel watched through the window as Daniel stepped out of his car.

Unlike Mateo, Daniel had never cared much about appearances. His sleeves were rolled halfway up his arms, his tie slightly loose, and his hair looked as though he had run his hands through it multiple times during the drive.

He entered the house carrying an overnight bag.

"I hope this won't take long," were the first words out of his mouth.

Mateo laughed.

"Nice to see you too."

Daniel shrugged.

"I'm just being honest."

Gabriel shook his head.

"At least pretend to be civilized."

Daniel dropped into a chair.

"Mother's dead. We're here because we have to be. Let's not pretend this is some heartwarming reunion."

The room fell quiet again.

Gabriel hated admitting it, but Daniel wasn't entirely wrong.

For years, the siblings had maintained contact out of obligation rather than affection. They spoke during holidays, attended each other's major life events, and checked in occasionally, but the closeness they had once shared had faded long ago.

Perhaps it had begun the day their father died.

Perhaps it had begun even earlier.

The sound of another car pulling into the driveway interrupted his thoughts.

Lucía had arrived.

Unlike her brothers, she didn't wait for the butler to answer the door.

Moments later, she walked into the living room carrying her handbag and wearing an expression that immediately told Gabriel she was upset.

Not sad.

Upset.

The difference was important.

Her eyes moved across the room.

Gabriel.

Mateo.

Daniel.

One by one.

Then she frowned.

"You're discussing the estate already, aren't you?"

Nobody answered.

That alone seemed to confirm her suspicions.

"You haven't even buried her."

Mateo rolled his eyes.

"Here we go."

"No, seriously," Lucía continued. "Our mother died yesterday, and you're already talking about houses and inheritance."

"There isn't much else to discuss."

Lucía stared at him.

"She was our mother."

The words carried more emotion than Gabriel expected.

Mateo leaned forward.

"And she murdered our father."

The temperature in the room seemed to drop instantly.

Gabriel saw Lucía's jaw tighten.

For a moment, he thought she might explode.

Instead, she took a deep breath.

"Do you know what bothers me?" she asked quietly.

Nobody answered.

"The fact that every single conversation about her ends the same way."

Mateo crossed his arms.

"Because she killed him."

"According to the courts."

Daniel looked up.

"What exactly are you trying to say?"

Lucía hesitated.

For a second, she appeared uncertain.

Then she shook her head.

"Nothing."

The answer surprised Gabriel.

Lucía had always been emotional, but she wasn't reckless. If she had doubts about something, she usually kept them to herself.

Still, something in her expression suggested there was more she wanted to say.

She sat down opposite her brothers.

"I just think she deserves better than this."

"Better than what?" Mateo asked.

"Better than being buried like some forgotten criminal."

Nobody spoke.

Lucía's voice softened.

"Whether you liked her or not, she carried us. She raised us. She gave us life."

Gabriel noticed Daniel looking away.

Even Mateo seemed slightly uncomfortable.

The truth was that none of them actually remembered much about Sofia.

Twenty-two years was a long time.

Long enough for anger to replace memories.

It's long enough for a person to become little more than a story.

Long enough for children to forget their mother's face.

Lucía lowered her gaze.

"I don't want her buried alone."

The room grew quiet.

For the first time since arriving, nobody had a sarcastic response.

Because beneath the resentment and old wounds was an uncomfortable reality.

Sofia Reyes had died alone.

No husband.

No children.

No family by her side.

Just prison walls and strangers.

Gabriel found himself wondering what her final moments had been like.

Had she been afraid?

Had she been in pain?

Had she called out for any of them?

The thought unsettled him more than he cared to admit.

Finally, Lucía looked at him.

"You make the decision."

The others followed her gaze.

As the eldest sibling, the responsibility always landed on Gabriel eventually.

He remained silent for several seconds.

Then he nodded.

"We'll hold a proper funeral."

Lucía's shoulders relaxed immediately.

Mateo groaned.

Daniel sighed.

But neither objected.

The decision had been made.

Gabriel rose from his chair and walked toward the study.

Closing the door behind him, he called his secretary.

Maria answered on the second ring.

"Good afternoon, Mr. President."

"I need arrangements made."

"For the funeral?"

"Yes."

He sat behind his desk.

"I want a traditional Catholic funeral."

Maria immediately began typing notes.

"A wake?"

"Yes."

"A funeral Mass?"

"Yes."

"And burial afterwards?"

Gabriel paused.

"Yes."

There was a brief silence.

"Will the family be attending?"

"All of us."

"Understood."

"Keep the media away."

"Of course."

After ending the call, Gabriel remained seated.

The funeral would take place in three days.

Friends, distant relatives, and a handful of people who still remembered Sofia would attend.

Prayers would be said.

Candles would be lit.

A coffin would be lowered into the ground.

Then it would be over.

The final chapter of Sofia Reyes' life would close forever.

Or at least that was what Gabriel believed.

What none of the siblings knew was that the past wasn't finished with them yet.

While they were preparing to bury their mother, the old Castillo estate was quietly holding onto secrets that had survived more than two decades.

And secrets had a way of resurfacing when people least expected them.

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