Chapter 2: The Empire Falls Overnight
By sunrise, the story had already reached the attorneys representing Grupo Salazar's largest financial interests.
But my father never held a press conference.
He simply signed papers.
Banks suspended the Rivas family's credit.
Investors canceled pending agreements.
Board members resigned one after another.
Within twenty-four hours, the illusion of the Rivas empire collapsed.
When Santiago arrived at his headquarters that morning, his security badge no longer worked.
"I'm the CEO!" he shouted.
The receptionist lowered her eyes.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Rivas."
"The board voted at six this morning."
"You've been removed."
He stood frozen while employees quietly walked past him.
Some avoided looking at him.
Others remembered hearing rumors for years.
No one defended him.
Meanwhile, I sat in my father's private residence overlooking the hills outside Mexico City.
For the first time in months, I drank tea without shaking.
My obstetrician examined the baby.
"He's healthy," she smiled.
"Your son is a fighter."
I placed both hands over my belly.
"So am I."
That afternoon, detectives executed search warrants at the Rivas mansion.
The falsified psychiatric reports.
The forged custody documents.
The financial records.
Every single piece of evidence my father had feared might disappear was still exactly where Santiago had hidden it.
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He had believed no one would ever challenge him.
Instead, he had preserved the evidence that would destroy him.
