“Wait,” Lucas said.
The girl spoke one word. Quiet. Precise.
“Mirror clause.”
Lucas went cold. Not because of the phrase—but because it didn’t belong in a child’s mouth. He turned slowly toward the lawyer. The man’s expression stayed neutral, but his eyes hardened. Valeria’s smile tightened.
“Who told you that?” Lucas asked softly.
“She did,” the girl whispered, staring at Valeria. “She said, ‘Once he signs, we activate the mirror clause.’”
The crowd buzzed.
Valeria laughed lightly. “She’s a child. She must’ve heard something on TV.”
The lawyer cleared his throat. “Mr. Moreno, this isn’t the time—”
“Where did you hear it?” Lucas asked the girl.
“In the sacristy,” she said. “Yesterday. The door was open.”
Valeria snapped, “What was a child doing there?”
“Surviving,” the girl replied.
The guard grabbed her again.
“Don’t touch her,” Lucas snapped.
Valeria leaned in, lowering her voice. “Please. People are recording.”
She didn’t say it wasn’t true. She said don’t humiliate me.
“What’s your name?” Lucas asked.
“Eva,” she said.
“What else did you hear, Eva?”
Valeria’s eyes hardened. The lawyer tightened his grip on the folder.
“They said after the ceremony you’d sign with Attorney Rafael Montoya,” Eva added.