She seemed lost in a deep, almost comatose sleep. Roberto felt like the world was crashing down around him. He took out his phone and dialed the emergency number, his voice barely a whisper.

While waiting for the ambulance, her gaze swept around the room. Everything seemed in order. Too orderly. Then her eyes stopped on Ana’s bedside table.

Next to a glass of water, there was a small, almost empty glass bottle. She hadn’t noticed it before. It was the object Elena had taken from her pocket. On the label, some small, barely legible letters read: “Powerful sedative. Veterinary use.”

Veterinarian! The word struck him like a bolt of lightning. Why would Elena give her daughter a veterinary sedative? The police and paramedics arrived within minutes.

The mansion was filled with sirens and flashing lights. Ana was rushed to the hospital, while Roberto, in a state of shock and fury, tried to make sense of what had happened.

The police investigation began immediately. The mansion, her sanctuary, became a crime scene. Forensic technicians examined every corner.

Roberto showed them the edited video, the bottle of sedative. The police launched an exhaustive search for Elena, but she had vanished without a trace.

Her employment history turned out to be completely fake. The photo on her ID didn’t match her face. She was a ghost.