Chapter 24 - The Asset Seizure
The fall of the Cabrales Group was swift, brutal, and entirely public.
Within two weeks, the financial news networks were running non-stop coverage of the conglomerate's catastrophic insolvency. The illusion of their wealth had been shattered, revealing decades of terrible investments, massive leveraging, and gross financial negligence.
Rodrigo Cabrales stood on the front lawn of his family's estate, watching through a haze of absolute despair as heavily armed federal marshals supervised the foreclosure process.
Moving trucks lined the circular driveway. The luxury sports cars he had driven with arrogant pride were loaded onto flatbed tow trucks, repossessed by the banks. The priceless art collection his mother had curated for social status was being wrapped in bubble wrap and cataloged for immediate auction.
"Rodrigo, do something!"
Élida wailed, clutching a designer handbag as two officers escorted her out the front doors.
"Call our lawyers! Tell them to file an injunction!"
"We don't have lawyers anymore, Mother,"
Rodrigo replied, his voice hollow, empty of any fight.
"They all dropped us the second the retainer checks bounced. We have absolutely nothing left."
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He watched a team of movers carry out the grand piano that had sat in their foyer for three generations. He remembered the quiet, gentle way Valentina used to trace the keys when she thought no one was watching.
He had thrown away a diamond to protect a piece of worthless, toxic glass. The crushing realization of his colossal cowardice brought him to his knees on the manicured grass.
