Chapter 17 - The Trial of Greed
Mateo walked into the massive, intimidating courtroom holding the reassuring hand of a child psychologist. He climbed into the heavy wooden witness stand, looking incredibly small but remarkably composed and steady. The aggressive defense attorney tried to confuse him with complex, winding questions, attempting to twist his words, but Mateo’s absolute clarity silenced the entire room.
"I saw Aunt Valeria hide the diamond necklace in her purse," the boy stated firmly directly into the microphone. "I didn't want to say anything at first because I was really scared she would yell at me. But when I saw the police putting those heavy metal bracelets on Lucía and taking her away, my stomach hurt so bad from keeping the lie inside. I couldn't hold it anymore."
The presiding judge nodded solemnly. In the packed gallery, Lucía wept silently into a tissue. Mateo’s simple, profound explanation captured a universal, undeniable truth about the world: holding onto a malicious lie causes a deep, physical pain in the soul.
The jury deliberated for less than a single day. Valeria was found guilty on a multitude of severe, irrefutable charges: filing a false police report, simulating a robbery, severe obstruction of justice, and massive corporate embezzlement of charitable funds.
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Her once-untouchable social standing completely crumbled into dust. Her extensive, glittering jewelry collection, including the very diamonds she wore on the day of her arrest, was seized entirely by the government to pay restitution. Her name, which she had spent a lifetime associating with high-society elegance and unyielding power, was now permanently linked to the pathetic, desperate image of a woman aggressively hiding a necklace in a purse to destroy a poor maid.
In the immediate aftermath of the trial, Don Alejandro implemented massive, sweeping reforms across both the mansion and the charitable foundation. He officially decreed that no employee could ever be accused or dismissed without a thorough, formal investigation, mandatory camera reviews, and legal representation.
