Misled - Paperback

MISLED-A Novel of Blood, Betrayal, and the Supernatural

Immigration attorney Victoria Barrón has spent her life running from the past-until a cryptic letter lures her back to Mexico, a country she barely remembers. Twenty-five years after her parents' tragic deaths, she returns to Zacatecas, where she finds a grandmother, she never knew existed: the enigmatic Antonella Duarte, a woman with secrets as vast as the Casa del Conquistador itself. Antonella's disapproving grandson, Eduardo, and her lifelong confidantes, Ofelia and Clarita, complete the cast of characters in a home haunted by history. But Victoria's homecoming turns to nightmare when Antonella is arrested-then vanishes without a trace.

A ransom call follows. A ruthless collector, Malcolm Blalock, demands an ancient Aztec artifact in exchange for Antonella's life. Victoria and Eduardo are stunned to discover a hidden crypt beneath the mansion, where their ancestor, a Spanish Conquistador, hoarded relics of Montezuma's empire. But something about the crypt-about Eduardo's growing obsession-unnerves Victoria. When Blalock agrees to keep Antonella alive while they search, the cousins embark on a desperate hunt, unaware they are being stalked by a shadowy force from the past.

Their search leads them to Victoria's abandoned childhood home in Chihuahua, now owned by the reclusive Isabel Luego. With Isabel's help-and the unsettling guidance of a curandera (a mystic healer with connections beyond the veil)-they uncover the artifact: a missing fragment of Montezuma's legendary shield, an object rumored to hold the key to the Aztec empire's rise to power. But before they can leave, Eduardo mysteriously falls to his death, an accident Victoria refuses to accept. The cryptic presence of Martín Eztli, a soldier of the secretive Grupo Royal, suggests a darker force at work.

Returning to Zacatecas, Victoria finds herself caught between two enemies: Blalock, who wants the artifact for greed, and Grupo Royal, a clandestine Aztec bloodline society determined to reclaim what was stolen from their ancestors. But when Blalock arrives with Antonella unharmed, the truth unfurls like a cruel illusion: the kidnapping was a ruse. Antonella orchestrated everything-manipulating Victoria, faking her illness, even sacrificing Eduardo-to get her hands on the priceless relic that would restore her staggering wealth and lost prestige. Her final betrayal? Telling Victoria that she should have died instead of Eduardo.

Devastated, Victoria leaves the Casa del Conquistador forever. That night, Antonella dies in agony-her body twisted by forces no doctor can explain. Clarita and Ofelia whisper of retribution from the gods, but Victoria refuses to believe. Heartbroken, she returns to El Paso, determined to bury her past for good.

But the past is not finished with her.

Months later, an invitation arrives: a letter, but this time painted in Isabel's own hand. The art exhibition draws Victoria back to Mexico, where she finally meets Grupo Royal's leaders-and learns the true nature of her bloodline. She is more than just an orphan. More than just a lawyer. She is a direct descendant of Montezuma's lineage. Grupo Royal begs her to take her place among them, to embrace the power that runs in her veins.

Victoria refuses.

For the first time in her life, she is certain of one thing: the only family she needs is the one she already has