Chapter 6 - The Screen of Truth
The drone footage on the massive digital screens was undeniably clear. It hovered over Ramón’s property, the camera panning slowly to show the house, the ancient stone well, the cattle pens, and the long, protective line of walnut trees Teresa had planted.
A stark white graphic overlay suddenly appeared on the screen, drawing a sharp, digitized border around the thirty-two hectares.
The guests in the courtyard began to murmur, shifting uncomfortably in their seats. The romantic ambiance of the wedding had been instantly shattered, replaced by severe confusion.
Then, a secondary graphic appeared. It was a red line indicating the proposed path of the new state highway, cutting right past the edge of Ramón’s land.
Bold, undeniable white text flashed across the bottom of the screens:
ESTIMATED COMMERCIAL VALUATION POST-DEVELOPMENT: $5.8 MILLION USD.
Valeria’s face drained of all color beneath her delicate veil. She took a panicked, unsteady step backward, her eyes darting between the screens and Mateo.
"Mateo... what are you doing?" she hissed, her voice trembling.
Arturo Montes leaped out of his front-row seat, his face flushing a deep, violent crimson.
"Turn that off!" Arturo roared, pointing aggressively at the sound booth in the back. "Turn that off right now! This is a technical malfunction!"
No one in the sound booth moved.
Suddenly, the screen went black, and the audio system crackled to life. It wasn't music. It was the unmistakable, crystal-clear voice of Arturo Montes, echoing loudly across the courtyard for two hundred guests to hear.
"He’s stubborn, but he’s old," the recorded voice of Arturo boomed from the speakers. "Once the state announces the new highway exit near Tequisquiapan, that land is going to skyrocket."
A collective, horrified gasp ripped through the audience. Wealthy socialites covered their mouths; business partners exchanged terrified glances.
"We can’t pressure the old man before the wedding," Beatriz’s voice chimed in next, sharp and calculating, bouncing off the stone walls of the hacienda. "It will spook Mateo. We need to convince Mateo that forming a family LLC is the only way to ‘protect’ the land..."
May you like
Beatriz, standing in the front row, physically staggered, clutching her chest as if she had been shot.
"Mateo hates conflict," Valeria’s recorded voice added smoothly, twisting the knife deep into the heart of the ceremony. "Once we’re married, I’ll handle him. We get the father to sign the operational transfer to the LLC, and Arturo’s firm assumes administrative control."
