Chapter 5 - The SabotageThe success of the new residential complex was immediate. The board, initially skeptical of the "unconventional" designs, was blown away by the efficiency and beauty of Mariana’s work. She was officially named the project’s lead architect.
But success in the corporate world of Mexico City never came without enemies.
One of Alejandro’s rivals, a man named Victor who had lost the bid for the project, began to dig. He didn't find financial dirt—Alejandro was too meticulous for that—but he found the story. He found the "waitress" who had suddenly become the lead architect for the city's most anticipated development.
Rumors began to circulate in the press: Alejandro Salcedo’s Passion Project: Romance or Nepotism?
The headlines were vicious. They painted Mariana as a manipulative social climber and Alejandro as a man losing his mind.
At the office, the pressure became immense. Alejandro’s investors threatened to pull out unless he removed Mariana from the lead position.
One afternoon, Alejandro walked into his office to find Mariana packing her things.
"I heard the rumors," she said, her voice steady but her eyes brimming with unshed tears. "I’m leaving, Alejandro. I won't let my presence ruin your career."
Alejandro slammed the office door shut. "You are not leaving. We worked too hard for this. We built something that actually matters."
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"The world doesn't care about the truth, Alejandro!" she cried out. "They care about the scandal. If I stay, your reputation, your company—everything you built—will be torn apart by those people."
Alejandro stepped toward her, taking her hands in his. "I spent my whole life building things that people could walk away from. I spent my whole life being 'reputable' while feeling completely hollow. You are the only person who made me feel like I was alive. If I have to lose a company to keep you, then I’ll walk away from the company today. I don't care about the steel, Mariana. I care about the foundation."
