Chapter 4 - The Midnight Flight
By 1:00 AM, the mansion was shrouded in a heavy fog that rolled in from the surrounding forest of Chapultepec. Alejandro had spent the evening quietly moving his personal assets, changing the encryption keys on his corporate servers, and preparing a fortress.
He didn't own just the mansion; he owned a highly secure, private penthouse in the Polanco district—a building equipped with biometric security, bulletproof glass, and a dedicated security team comprised entirely of former military personnel who answered only to him.
"Sir," Carlos, Alejandro's head of personal security, whispered as he entered the bedroom through the service elevator. "The vehicles are ready in the basement. Doña Esther has placed three of her personal guards at the main gate, and she has instructed the household staff to log any movement."
"Are they armed?" Alejandro asked, checking the slide of a sleek, black 9mm pistol before tucking it into his jacket.
"Yes, sir. But they aren't prepared for us," Carlos replied.
Alejandro walked over to the bed. Valeria was dressed in loose, dark clothing, her injuries covered in thick medical bandages. He gently lifted her into his arms, mindful of her stomach and her raw wrists. She clamped her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder.
"Hold on to me," he murmured. "I’ve got you."
Instead of using the grand staircase, Alejandro, Carlos, and the two medical nurses slipped into the service elevator, descending straight into the underground parking garage. The air down there was cold and smelled of concrete and gasoline. Three black, armored SUVs sat with their engines idling silently.
As they reached the vehicles, a sharp voice cut through the darkness.
"Going somewhere, Alejandro?"
Marcela stepped out from behind a concrete pillar. She wasn't alone. Standing beside her were four large men in dark suits—members of Doña Esther’s private security detail, their hands resting ominously inside their jackets.
"You really are a fool," Marcela sneered, her eyes locked on Valeria, who shrank back into Alejandro’s chest. "Did you think you could just steal her away? Mother has already contacted the board of directors. She’s telling them you've suffered a psychological breakdown due to your wife’s... infidelities. If you leave this property with her, she will initiate an emergency board meeting to strip you of your CEO title by sunrise."
Alejandro didn't stop walking. He handed Valeria gently to Carlos, who immediately placed her into the middle armored vehicle under the protection of the nurses.
Alejandro turned to face his sister. He looked at the four armed guards.
"Do you know why I built the Aranda empire at twenty-eight, Marcela?" Alejandro asked, stepping into the dim light of the garage. "It wasn't because of Mother's money. It was because I know how to eliminate liabilities."
Before Marcela could reply, six more security guards—men from Alejandro’s personal tactical team—detached themselves from the shadows of the garage ceiling and utility rooms, their laser sights painting red dots across the chests of Doña Esther’s guards.
The four men instantly raised their hands, stepping away from Marcela.
"What are you doing?!" Marcela screamed at the guards. "We pay your salaries!"
"No," Alejandro said, stepping close to his sister until she could see the absolute lack of humanity in his eyes. "I pay them. Every single account you and Mother use is tied to the corporate overhead that I sign off on. As of five minutes ago, every credit card, every trust disbursement, and every security contract bearing the name Esther or Marcela Aranda has been frozen under a corporate audit for suspected embezzlement."
Marcela’s face drained of color, her aristocratic confidence shattering in an instant. "You... you can't do that. Mother will destroy you."
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"Let her try," Alejandro said. He turned, stepped into the armored SUV, and slammed the heavy door shut. "Carlos, move out. Anyone who blocks the gate—drive through them."
The three armored vehicles roared to life, their tires screeching against the concrete as they burst through the garage doors and smashed through the estate's iron gates into the foggy night, leaving Marcela screaming into the darkness.
