Chapter 7 - The Crumbling Facade
Rodrigo dropped his glass. It shattered on the floor, mixing with the formula and the remnants of the vase, but he didn't even look down. He lunged for his vibrating phone, his fingers fumbling with the screen.
He started dialing everyone who mattered in his carefully constructed, superficial life. First, he called his private banker.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Silva. Your accounts have been flagged by a supreme court order. I cannot authorize any transfers."
Next, he called the family lawyer. It went straight to voicemail. Then, he tried a powerful political friend he had spent years bribing with expensive dinners. The call was declined after a single ring.
When a text message finally illuminated his screen, his face drained of all remaining color. He looked like a ghost. Company access suspended. Emergency board meeting scheduled. Forensic audit initiated.
He slowly raised his head, looking at Beatriz as if he were staring at a complete stranger. The woman he had bullied and belittled for years was suddenly a towering, insurmountable wall of ruin.
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"You... you ruined my life,"
He muttered, his voice hollow, stripped of all its former arrogance.
