Chapter 86 — The Burden of Truth

(Point of view: Adrián Castell)

The sound of the hospital elevator was unbearable. Every chime felt like a judgment; every floor we passed was either a conviction or an acquittal. In my hands, I held the envelope with Sofía’s test results—the ones we had requested be repeated under chain of custody, leaving no room for doubt or tampering.

Dr. Hale had been clear: “This time, no one touches it. I’ll supervise it myself.”

I locked myself in a small conference