THE GOVERNOR'S KEPT WOMAN (ENGLISH)

Chapter One "The police have strong evidence against your father, Miss Lucinda. His case has also become a major story in the media." I hadn't even had a chance to sleep. I was in the middle of enjoying a party at an exclusive club in the city when I received a call from my father's lawyer. I almost ignored it. He had never called me personally before, so I couldn't help wondering why he was contacting me. Once I found a quiet corner away from the music, I answered. In an instant, my perfect night was swallowed by fear. My father had been arrested. They said he had killed someone. I refused to believe it the moment I heard the accusation. My father wasn't a murderer. He was a good man. "What evidence, Attorney?" I asked, running a hand through my hair in frustration. "My father isn't capable of murder." I'd already been drinking before I left the club, then immediately drove back to Santa Dominga just to meet with my father's lawyer. I was still wearing the same outfit I'd worn to the club—a figure-hugging dress. The only thing I'd changed was throwing on a cardigan to cover myself. "My dear," the elderly lawyer replied calmly, "the police recovered fingerprints from the knife used in the murder, and they matched your father's. There were also two eyewitnesses to the crime." Even though neither of us had slept, he answered every one of my questions with remarkable patience. "Is... is my father really going to prison?" I asked, my voice trembling as tears threatened to fall. "Who was the victim?" "The man who was killed was one of Governor Andreras's trusted men, Miss Lucinda." His expression turned solemn. "Your father isn't just up against the victim's family. He's also made an enemy of the governor himself. Governor Andreras is determined to make the person responsible for his subordinate's death—and his closest friend's murder—pay." I knew the elderly man sitting across from me was an exceptional lawyer. That was exactly why his words drained the strength from my body. If he even sounded this uncertain, then perhaps we truly stood no chance in the case my father was facing. "Can I see my father, attorney?" I asked, barely holding back my tears. "I need to talk to him. I know he won't lie to me." "All right. But visit him tomorrow," Attorney Gaille said gently. "For now, you should go back to your family's mansion and get some rest, my dear. It's obvious you haven't slept." He was right. My makeup was probably a complete mess by now. I'd cried the entire drive here, unable to stop imagining what my father must be going through behind bars. "Okay," I replied quietly. "But please keep me updated on Dad's case. We're going to fight this, Attorney Gaille. We'll get him out of prison. He doesn't deserve this." "I'll do everything I can, hija." His voice was firm with conviction. When he extended his hand, I shook it without hesitation. "Go home and get some rest." Before leaving, the elderly lawyer pulled me into a comforting embrace. Then he walked me to my car, where my bodyguard, Top, was already holding the door open for me. He also served as my driver, so the moment I got inside, he slipped into the driver's seat. "Take me to the Re Vinci Mansion," I instructed softly before leaning back against the seat and closing my eyes. As the car pulled away, I tried to steal a few minutes of sleep. But Top spoke before I could drift off. "How's Sir Aio, Miss?" The worry in his voice was unmistakable. Top had been with my father for as long as I could remember. In many ways, Dad had raised him like family. I knew the concern in his voice was sincere. "They say the case against Dad is strong, Top." I couldn't stop the tears. My eyes remained closed, but I felt the warmth of them slipping down my cheeks. I was exhausted. Yet nothing compared to the weight pressing against my chest every time I thought about what my father was going through. He was the kindest man I'd ever known. Patient. Compassionate. The idea that he could take someone's life... No. I refused to believe it. "Your father would never kill anyone, Miss," Top said firmly. "I grew up under his care. I was already working at your mansion before you were even born. I've known him almost my entire life." "I know my father too, Top. He didn't do this. He could never take someone's life." I trusted Attorney Gaille completely. He and my father had been close friends for years. If anyone fought for him with everything they had, it was him. "If you'll allow me, Miss, I'd like to help with the investigation." Outside, the rain began to pour as the car continued down the highway. It felt as though the sky itself had chosen to share my grief. Rain hammered against the windows... ...And my tears fell just as relentlessly. "I'll accept any help I can get, Top. We have to get Dad out of prison. He won't survive in a place like that." Unaware of my silent tears, he kept his eyes on the road. I closed mine again, pretending I was all right. "Wake me when we get to the mansion." "Yes, Miss." The drive should have taken an hour. But the heavy rain and bumper-to-bumper traffic stretched it into nearly two. When we finally arrived at the mansion, I barely acknowledged the household staff, who bowed as I entered. I walked straight past them. Straight up the grand staircase. Straight to my room. The moment I stepped inside, I shut the door behind me. One by one, I peeled off my clothes until all that remained was my exhaustion. I crossed to the coffee table, picked up the bottle of wine and a glass waiting there, and carried them into the bathroom. The bathtub had already been filled. Without a second thought, I slipped into the warm water. This... This was exactly what my body needed. Alone in the silence, my thoughts drifted back to the city. The endless noise. The crowded streets. The chaos. Strange as it sounded, that was where I found peace. I'd rather be surrounded by blaring music, traffic, and strangers than remain here... Because this mansion was suffocatingly quiet. Every corner reminded me that something was missing. That someone was gone. And in that crushing silence... I could almost hear the screams again. The same screams I'd heard years ago. I was only a child then. But every detail remained painfully clear. That was why I hated silence. When the world was loud, I didn't have to remember my mother's death. She died here. Inside this very mansion. She died screaming. Sometimes I could still hear her laughter echoing in my mind—a laugh so broken it chilled me to the bone. I could still hear the way she called my name. "Lucinda..." I remembered exactly what she looked like. She was holding my father's gun. She'd taken it from his desk drawer. Dad wasn't home that day. It was just the two of us. I was only a little girl... ...Terrified beyond words. I took a deep breath and submerged myself beneath the water, desperate to drown down the memories. Years had passed. Yet the images remained as vivid as if they had happened yesterday.