Chapter 3 - Unraveling the Past
While Dr. Cárdenas monitored Emiliano’s stabilization, Alejandro retreated to his private study. The room smelled of old leather, cigar smoke, and expensive bourbon. He poured himself two fingers of neat scotch, tossing it back straight to burn the taste of his own catastrophic blindness out of his throat.
He had married Regina after a whirlwind romance in Acapulco. She had presented herself as an independent art curator, sophisticated, charming, and deeply affectionate toward Emiliano following the tragic passing of Alejandro’s first wife. Alejandro, accustomed to managing corporate takeovers and reading balance sheets, had completely failed to read the human balance sheet sitting across from him at his own dining table.
The heavy oak door swung open. Ramiro stepped inside, carrying a thick manila folder and a secure corporate tablet.
“Boss, we ran a deep background check on Mrs. Arriaga—or whatever her real name is,” Ramiro said, laying several printed documents across the mahogany desk.
Alejandro leaned down, his eyes scanning the pages. “Go on.”
“Regina’s real name is Regina Solares. Two years ago, she wasn't an art curator in Polanco. She was a private nurse in Guadalajara working for an elderly real estate magnate named Don Eduardo Garza,” Ramiro reported, pointing to a photograph of Regina standing beside a wealthy, frail old man who looked remarkably like Alejandro in stature and wealth. “Old Don Eduardo died under mysterious circumstances—severe gastrointestinal failure diagnosed as natural causes. Regina inherited a modest apartment and a luxury vehicle from his estate before the family could contest the will.”
Alejandro’s blood ran cold. “She’s a professional predator.”
“Worse,” Ramiro continued. “We checked her financial accounts this morning before locking down her electronics. Over the last four months, she has been quietly liquidating several of your secondary commercial properties through proxy signatures and forged corporate resolutions. She wasn't just planning to institutionalize Emiliano. She was planning to clean out your entire holding company and disappear to Europe by the end of the year.”
Alejandro stared at the documents, the rage inside him building into a cold, terrifying clarity. He had spent his entire life building an empire, protecting his assets against the most ruthless corporate raiders in Latin America. Yet, a common grifter had walked into his bedroom, poisoned his son, and very nearly succeeded in destroying everything he loved from the inside out.
“Where is she now?” Alejandro asked.
“Still locked in the library,” Ramiro replied. “Her lawyer from a high-priced firm in Santa Fe just pulled up to the front gates with two federal marshals, demanding immediate access to her.”
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Alejandro stood up slowly, straightening his suit jacket. A dark, predatory smile touched the corners of his mouth.
“Let the lawyer in, Ramiro,” Alejandro said softly. “And bring Lucía up to my study. It’s time we taught some high-priced lawyers how business is really done in Lomas de Chapultepec.”
