Chapter 2 - The Cabo Illusion
Two thousand miles away, in the sun-drenched paradise of Cabo San Lucas, Jessica was living a delusion.
She lay on a plush white cabana bed overlooking the Pacific Ocean, scrolling through the comments on her Instagram post. Her friends were praising her for being so "strong" and taking a "much-needed mental health break" after the tragedy of losing her husband. None of them knew she had left her fifteen-year-old stepdaughter locked in a house with no food and a raging infection.
“Señora,” the resort manager said, stepping into the shade of the cabana. He looked deeply uncomfortable. “I apologize for the interruption, but the concierge informed me that your credit card has been declined for the spa charges.”
Jessica scoffed, not even looking up from her phone. “It’s a Black Card. Run it again. There’s probably a fraud alert because I’m out of the country.”
“We did run it again, ma'am. We also tried the two backup cards on your file. All of them are returning a ‘Code 4: Account Seized’ error. Your bank instructed us to confiscate the cards.”
Jessica finally sat up, taking off her oversized designer sunglasses. A cold prickle of dread ran down her spine. “Seized? That’s impossible. Let me call my private banker.”
She dialed the number. A sterile, automated voice answered: “We are sorry, but this account has been frozen pending a federal investigation. If you are the account holder, please contact the Portland District Attorney’s office.”
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The phone slipped from her perfectly manicured fingers, landing on the teakwood deck.
“Señora,” the manager said, his voice losing its hospitality. “If you cannot provide a valid form of payment, I must ask you to pack your belongings and vacate the villa immediately.”
