Chapter 4 - The Legal Storm
The next morning, the headlines were brutal. The Aranda family, usually featured in the high-society columns for their charity galas and corporate mergers, were now front-page news for a massive financial scandal and a highly publicized family feud.
I sat in the office of my attorney, Victoria Vance. Victoria was a sharp, no-nonsense woman in her late forties who specialized in high-profile divorces and corporate law.
"You handled that beautifully, Daniela," Victoria said, pouring me a cup of coffee. "The press is having a field day. But more importantly, the evidence you secured gives us total leverage."
"What’s the status on the corporate fraud?" I asked, watching Lucía play with a set of colorful plastic blocks on the rug in the corner of the office.
"Teresa and Paulina are in deep trouble," Victoria explained, leaning back in her chair. "The board of directors at Aranda Logistics has already suspended Teresa from her position. They are launching an internal investigation. Rodrigo is cooperating with the authorities to save the company from going under, which means he is actively throwing his own mother under the bus to protect his assets."
A knock on the door interrupted us. Victoria’s assistant walked in, looking tense. "Ms. Vance, Rodrigo Aranda is outside. He refuses to leave until he speaks with Mrs. Salgado."
I sighed, rubbing my temples. "Let him in, Victoria. Let's get this over with."
Rodrigo walked into the office looking like a ghost. The polished, confident billionaire executive was gone. His suit was wrinkled, his eyes were bloodshot, and he had dark circles under them.
"Daniela," he said, stepping toward me. He looked down at Lucía, his eyes filling with tears. "Lucía... hi, baby."
Lucía looked up, blinked her blue eyes, and went back to her blocks. She didn't reach out for him. It broke his heart right there in front of us.
"What do you want, Rodrigo?" I asked coldly.
"Please don't do this," he begged, dropping to his knees beside my chair. "I know I failed you. When my mother started planting those doubts, I felt overwhelmed. The pressure of the family name, the business... I was weak. But I swear, I never wanted to hurt you. I love you. I love Lucía."
"If you loved us, you would have protected us," I said, my voice cutting through his pleas like ice. "You let your mother treat me like a servant. You let her insult my parents. And then you allowed her to question our daughter's legitimacy. You sat in that room last night, Rodrigo. You waited to see if I would break. If I hadn't brought those envelopes, you would have let them ruin me."
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"I was confused!" he cried out.
"No, you were complicit," I corrected him. "You wanted the corporate merger with Paulina’s family just as much as your mother did. You just wanted to find a way to do it without looking like the bad guy. Well, now the whole world knows exactly who you are."
