Teresa smiled.
“Let her walk. A daughter-in-law enters this family when she learns how to obey.”
Something inside Sofia went very still.
She didn’t yell.
She didn’t argue.
“Are you all completely sure about this?” she asked calmly.
“100% sure,” Teresa replied.
“Alright then.”
The SUV pulled away, spraying muddy water across Sofia’s boots.
She returned to the terminal, placed her luggage in a secure locker, and checked the map on her phone.
Nine miles.
More than three hours on foot, much of it along winding rural roads without sidewalks.
Before stepping back into the rain, Sofia shared her live location with her mother, Elena Mendoza.
Thirty minutes later, Mariana uploaded the video to the extended family group chat, **The Alcantara-Ortega Family**.
She captioned it:
**“First lesson for the new girl.”**
Replies appeared immediately.
“Leave her outside when she gets there.”
“These city girls think they can buy their way into everything.”
“Well done, Teresa! Show her who’s boss.”
Javier read every message.
He defended his wife in none of them.
At that exact moment, three black luxury SUVs pulled up outside the Syracuse airport terminal.
Elena Mendoza stepped from the middle vehicle with members of her executive team.
