Chapter 12: The Trial Begins

The trial began ten months after the yacht attack.

Rodrigo faced charges including attempted murder, conspiracy, kidnapping, bribery, fraud, obstruction, and evidence destruction.

Elena accepted a plea agreement.

Gabriel did the same.

Adrian refused.

He insisted he had been manipulated.

The prosecution opened with the yacht footage.

Jurors watched Mariana hanging from the railing.

They watched Nico clinging to her.

They watched Elena strike Mariana’s hand.

Then the office recording played.

Adrian’s voice filled the courtroom.

She won’t sign.

Rodrigo’s answer followed.

Then she cannot remain in control of the trust.

The fishermen testified about finding Mariana and Nico in the ocean.

Doctors described how close they had come to dying.

Priya authenticated the cloud files.

Beckett presented the underground archive.

Then Lucia took the stand.

Rodrigo did not look at her.

She told the jury how he had hidden her existence, used her identity to move money, and imprisoned her beneath the hotel.

“Why did you obey him for so many years?” the defense attorney asked.

Lucia looked toward Rodrigo.

“Because he taught me that survival depended on silence.”

“Yet you committed financial crimes.”

“Yes.”

“So you are a criminal.”

“Yes.”

The attorney smiled slightly.

“Why should the jury trust you?”

Lucia’s voice remained calm.

“They shouldn’t trust me because I am innocent. They should trust the records because they are real.”

The prosecution displayed documents bearing Rodrigo’s signature.

The attorney’s smile disappeared.

Mariana testified next.

Rodrigo’s lawyer portrayed her as ambitious.

“You wanted control of Salcedo International, didn’t you?”

“I wanted the stealing to stop.”

“You threatened to expose your father.”

“Yes.”

“You knew doing so would damage the company.”

“I knew telling the truth would damage the people who depended on lies.”

The attorney approached the witness stand.

“Isn’t it true you told your mother you would destroy the Salcedo family?”

Mariana looked toward Elena.

“I told her I would expose what they had done.”

“And what is the difference?”

“The truth doesn’t destroy a family.”

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Mariana turned toward the jury.

“What people do to hide it does.”