Chapter 5 - The Gathering Storm at the Attorney General's OfficeThe federal prosecutor’s conference room smelled of stale coffee and old paper. Outside the reinforced glass windows, the morning traffic of downtown Mexico City roared past, completely indifferent to the constitutional earthquake happening inside.
Federal Prosecutor Elena Garza sat at the head of the polished oak table, flipping through the pages of Nicolás’s journal while the micro-SD card projected financial forensic graphs onto the smartboard behind her.
"The paper trail is airtight," Prosecutor Garza said, looking up at me over her wire-rimmed glasses. "These shell companies aren't just siphoning funds from Grupo Valdés—they're laundering cartel money through international real estate holdings under Camila’s maiden name: Camila Rivas. Or rather, her real identity: Victoria Vance, an international corporate raider wanted by Interpol for three similar takeover schemes in Europe."
I sat across from her, with little Mateo sitting quietly on my lap, coloring in a notebook Héctor had bought him from a bodega down the street.
"Can we issue an immediate arrest warrant?" I asked.
"We already have," Garza replied, tapping a computer tablet on her desk. "Federal agents raided her penthouse in Lomas de Chapultepec twenty minutes ago. But Camila was smart—she anticipated this. She's currently barricaded in the executive boardroom of Grupo Valdés, holding an emergency shareholder meeting with your board of directors."
My blood ran cold. "She’s trying to force a corporate vote to strip my voting rights and transfer majority control of the company before the authorities can reach her."
"Exactly," Garza said. "If the board ratifies the emergency transfer of shares under your digital signature, she legally becomes the majority owner of Grupo Valdés. At that point, corporate law makes it much harder for us to seize the assets immediately."
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I stood up, gently setting Mateo down beside Héctor, who gave me a reassuring nod.
"Then we're going to the tower," I said, buttoning my suit jacket. "It’s time to end this."
