Chapter 15
The opportunity to look the monster directly in the eye presented itself just three days later. Senator Roberto Vargas was hosting a massive, highly publicized charity gala at an opulent hotel downtown, ostensibly to raise funds for urban development initiatives. The sheer, repulsive hypocrisy of the event was nauseating, but it provided the perfect, crowded environment where Vargas could not simply rely on his armed thugs to silence me. Marisela managed to secure me an invitation through one of her elite corporate clients.
I arrived at the gala wearing a tailored tuxedo, my burned hand concealed beneath a black silk glove. The ballroom was a sea of glittering diamonds, expensive champagne, and powerful politicians shaking hands. I spotted Vargas holding court near the grand staircase. He was older now, his hair completely silver, but he still possessed the same predatory, charismatic aura I had heard on the cassette tape.
I walked directly toward him, bypassing his massive security detail with the ease of an invited guest. "Senator Vargas," I said, keeping my voice perfectly even and polite.
He turned, offering a practiced, blindingly bright politician's smile. "Yes? Do I know you, young man?"
"My name is Alejandro Cardenas. My father was Hector Cardenas," I said, watching his eyes intently.
For a fraction of a second, the charismatic mask completely slipped. The smile vanished, replaced by a cold, calculating flash of recognition and genuine surprise. He quickly recovered, gesturing for his security guards to step back, and pulled me smoothly toward a quiet, secluded alcove near the balconies.
"Hector's boy," Vargas murmured, swirling the expensive amber liquid in his crystal glass. "I was deeply saddened by your father's tragic passing. We were good friends once. It is a terrible shame about the current legal troubles regarding your Coyoacán property. Apex Holdings is a notoriously aggressive firm. It would be a tragedy if the stress of a decade-long legal battle were to negatively impact your poor mother's fragile, recovering health."
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The veiled threat was unmistakable. He was using my mother's survival against me. "The clinic will be built, Senator," I replied, my voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "My father left me a very comprehensive journal. It contains fascinating details about your early real estate acquisitions. I believe the federal tax authorities would find your historical relationship with the Mendoza family incredibly enlightening."
Vargas didn't flinch. He simply took a slow sip of his drink. "You are playing a very dangerous game with matches, Alejandro. Sell the land to Apex Holdings. Take the money, take your beautiful new girlfriend, and go live a quiet, comfortable life. Because if you continue to dig in the dirt, you will simply end up buried in it, exactly like your father."
