Chapter 6 - The Sanctuary of the Coast
Two months later, I left Mexico City. The noise of the litigation, the constant phone calls from defense attorneys, and the grey winter sky of the valley were starting to affect my health. Dr. Garza had advised me that my blood pressure was rising, and for the sake of the baby, I needed a space that didn't remind me of a war zone.
I bought a small, beautiful villa overlooking the Pacific ocean in Careyes, Jalisco. It was a minimalist structure built into the cliffside, with white concrete walls that caught the pink light of the sunset and an infinity pool that seemed to merge directly into the blue water below.
Here, the only sound was the rhythmic, deep crash of the waves against the rocks and the wind moving through the palm trees.
Every morning, I walked along the private beach, my bare feet sinking into the warm sand, my hand resting on the heavy, smooth curve of my stomach. I was eight months pregnant now. The burn mark from Don Ernesto’s cigar had healed into a small, silver scar—a permanent medal of the night I finally stood up and saved my own life.
Alejandro visited me on a Thursday, bringing a fresh box of legal documents and a bottle of non-alcoholic wine. We sat on the terrace, watching a flock of pelicans glide over the water.
"Mauricio signed the divorce agreement yesterday morning," Alejandro said, pouring the sparkling juice into a crystal glass. "He did it from the legal center at the Altiplano prison. He didn't ask for any alimony, and he formally waived all future custody and visitation rights for the child."
"Did he say anything?" I asked, looking out at the horizon.
"He asked if you were going to change the child's last name," Alejandro said. "His attorney told him that under the new civil amendments, you have the legal right to register the baby with your maternal surname first."
"It’s already done," I said, a deep sense of clean, unburdened peace filling my chest. "He will be born as Mateo Robles. The Sterling name stops with the men in that motel."
"The federal court finalized the asset distribution today as well," Alejandro added, handing me a small green folder. "The forty-two million pesos they hid in Switzerland has been fully recovered by the financial intelligence unit and transferred back to your primary corporate treasury. After taxes and legal fees, you have an additional twenty-eight million pesos in liquid capital."
I looked down at my stomach, feeling a sudden, sharp movement as Mateo turned inside me. It felt like a salute. It felt like he was telling me that the ground we were standing on was finally solid.
May you like
"We’re going to use that money to build a pediatric clinic in Veracruz, Alejandro," I said, looking at the palm trees. "Right in the middle of the town where they registered their phantom companies. Let’s turn their corruption into something that actually helps mothers who don't have a tech salary to protect them."
Alejandro smiled, raising his glass toward me. "To the commercial director. You always did know how to optimize an asset."
