Chapter 8 - THE RECORDING
Valeria was taken to a private hospital Alejandro selected himself.
Not an Aranda clinic.
Not a doctor connected to his family.
The baby was alive.
But the obstetrician warned that stress and trauma had placed the pregnancy at serious risk.
Alejandro sat beside Valeria's bed.
"I'm sorry."
She looked toward the window.
"For what part?"
The question hurt because he had no simple answer.
"For believing Marcela."
"For not seeing what my family was doing."
"For every time you tried to tell me something was wrong and I told you to be patient."
Valeria turned toward him.
"You thought money meant safety."
Alejandro nodded.
"I was wrong."
"You gave me a mansion."
She whispered.
"But you left me alone inside it."
He had no defense.
He held her hand carefully.
"I won't do that again."
Valeria did not promise forgiveness.
But she didn't pull away.
The next morning, Alejandro went to the bank with Tomás, an attorney, and two investigators.
Box 317 opened with two keys.
Inside was a black leather ledger.
A flash drive.
Several notarized statements.
And photographs.
Alejandro recognized his mother's handwriting in the ledger.
For nearly fifteen years, Doña Esther had used the foundation to move money.
Bribes.
Kickbacks.
Offshore accounts.
Illegal land acquisitions.
Payments to Serrano.
Payments to judges.
Payments to journalists.
Then Alejandro found one entry dated the week his father died.
SERRANO - FINAL MATTER.
His hands began shaking.
Tomás inserted the flash drive into a laptop.
His father's voice filled the room.
"If Alejandro is hearing this, then I was not able to fix what I allowed to happen."
Alejandro closed his eyes.
His father continued.
"Esther began moving money years ago."
"I knew some of it."
"I convinced myself it protected the company."
"I was a coward."
"By the time I tried to stop her, she controlled too many people."
A pause.
Then the words Alejandro would never forget.
"Do not trust Dr. Serrano."
"And protect Marcela."
"Your mother has been using her fear since she was a child."
Alejandro looked at Tomás.
His father's voice continued.
"Most importantly, if Valeria is ever part of your life when you hear this, trust her."
Alejandro froze.
Valeria?
His father had died years before Alejandro married her.
May you like
The recording continued.
"Because Valeria Mendoza's father once saved my life."
