CHAPTER 2 — The Man They Never Expected
The front door closed with a quiet click.
No one moved.
Ricardo Salazar stood in the center of the foyer, his black overcoat still dusted with the evening rain. Behind him stood two attorneys, three members of his private security team, and a woman carrying a leather briefcase.
Santiago stared at the older man.
"Who are you?"
Ricardo didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he walked straight to Valeria.
He gently touched the bruise forming along her cheek.
His jaw tightened.
"My little girl..."
His voice was barely above a whisper.
"...who did this to you?"
Valeria tried to stay strong.
For weeks she had promised herself she wouldn't cry.
The promise lasted exactly three seconds.
"Dad..."
She collapsed into his arms.
Santiago frowned.
"Dad?"
Beatriz's wine glass slipped slightly in her hand.
Ricardo slowly turned toward them.
"My name is Ricardo Salazar."
The color disappeared from Santiago's face.
The name was impossible to ignore.
Grupo Salazar had financed nearly half of the Rivas Corporation's recent expansion.
Without those loans...
The company would collapse.
Santiago forced a nervous smile.
"Mr. Salazar... there must be some misunderstanding."
Ricardo looked at him without emotion.
"No."
"The misunderstanding was yours."
"You believed my daughter had no one."
One of Ricardo's attorneys opened the leather briefcase.
Inside were printed photographs.
Bank records.
Insurance documents.
The psychiatric evaluations.
The forged custody petition.
And a tablet streaming live video from the hidden camera inside the silver clock.
Every threat.
Every insult.
Every strike.
Recorded.
Timestamped.
Backed up.
Ricardo quietly nodded toward the attorneys.
"Serve them."
Legal documents landed on the marble table one after another.
Emergency protective orders.
Civil lawsuits.
Corporate fraud investigations.
Asset preservation requests.
Santiago's hands began to shake.
"You can't do this."
May you like
Ricardo finally looked him in the eye.
"I already have."
