Chapter 3 - The Gathering of the Wolves
The corporate headquarters of Vargas Development Group occupied the top three floors of a steel-and-glass tower in the city’s financial core. It was a place of dark marble, brass accents, and an atmosphere of old, untouchable money.
At ten o'clock the following morning, I walked into the lobby wearing a structured navy blazer, tailored trousers, and a silk scarf strategically wrapped around my neck to conceal the heavy bandage on my cheek. I was accompanied by Sofia Delgado.
We hadn't booked an appointment. In the business world, an appointment gives your enemy time to prepare a shield. A surprise visit with a legal folder gives you an execution.
The executive secretary—a polished woman named Mrs. Gable—looked up from her desk with a practiced, icy smile. "May I help you?"
"Mariana Cruz to see Don Hector Vargas," I said smoothly. "Tell him it’s regarding his son Diego, Raul Mendez, and a three-thousand-eight-hundred-dollar invoice from St. Regina Clinic."
Mrs. Gable’s smile flickered. She looked at Sofia’s attorney badge, then at the quiet intensity in my eyes. Without a word, she picked up her desk phone, whispered a few sentences, and stood up.
"Mr. Vargas will see you immediately."
Don Hector Vargas’s office was massive, dominated by a floor-to-ceiling view of the city skyline. Behind a dark walnut desk sat Don Hector—a sixty-year-old man with silver hair, a tailored Italian suit, and eyes like cold steel. Standing near the window, holding an espresso cup, was his son, Diego—tall, handsome in a lazy, arrogant way, wearing a designer suit that looked identical to the ones Paola had tried to buy on my card.
"Mrs. Cruz," Don Hector said, his voice a deep, gravelly baritone. He didn't offer a hand. "I was unaware Raul Mendez’s wife had business with my firm. And who is this?"
"Sofia Delgado, legal counsel for Mrs. Cruz," Sofia introduced herself, stepping forward and placing a thick manila folder directly on Don Hector’s desk.
Diego chuckled from the window, taking a slow sip of his espresso. "What is this, Raul sending his wife to beg for the subcontract again? I told him yesterday, my father hasn't approved the deal."
I turned my head slightly, letting the silk scarf slide down just enough to expose the horrific, blistering burn running from my cheek down to my collarbone.
Diego’s chuckle stopped dead. Don Hector’s eyes narrowed instantly.
"What happened to your face, ma'am?" Don Hector asked, his tone dropping into something dangerous.
"My husband threw boiling coffee at me yesterday morning," I said, my voice steady, echoing off the mahogany walls. "Because I refused to hand over my corporate credit card to fund his sister Paola’s emergency medical procedures."
Don Hector frowned. "A domestic matter is unfortunate, Mrs. Cruz, but I fail to see why you are bringing this to my executive suite."
"Because," I replied, taking a step closer to the desk, "the medical procedure Paola Mendez was trying to force me to pay for was an expedited prenatal paternity test at St. Regina Clinic. And the man she claims is the father of her unborn child is your son, Diego."
Diego spilled his espresso. Hot brown liquid splashed across his silk tie and grey trousers.
"That’s a lie!" Diego snapped, his face flushing bright red. "Father, she’s crazy! Paola is just some girl who—"
"Shut up, Diego," Don Hector growled, never taking his eyes off me. He looked at the legal folder on his desk. "Go on, Mrs. Cruz."
Sofia opened the folder, spreading out the documents one by one.
"These are the rejected transaction receipts from St. Regina Clinic made yesterday morning," Sofia explained. "These are the text logs from Raul Mendez threatening Mrs. Cruz that if the payment wasn't made, 'everyone would lose' with the Vargas family. And this... is a certified affidavit from an insider at St. Regina."
Don Hector picked up the affidavit. As his eyes scanned the text, his expression transformed from cold detachment to absolute, terrifying fury.
"According to the medical intake form," Sofia continued smoothly, "Paola Mendez registered at St. Regina three weeks ago, claiming she was ten weeks pregnant with Diego Vargas’s child. However, two days ago, a second DNA sample was submitted to the lab by Raul Mendez under a false name, requesting a comparison before any formal announcement was made to your family."
Don Hector looked up, his jaw clenched so hard a muscle twitched in his cheek. "Why would Raul submit a second sample?"
I leaned across the desk, looking Don Hector dead in the eye.
"Because Raul and his mother know something Diego doesn't," I said. "Paola wasn't just sleeping with Diego. To ensure they secured a financial tie to a wealthy family, Paola was sleeping with three different men from Raul’s poker club over the course of the same month. They didn't need the test to prove Diego was the father. They needed the test to make sure another man wasn't the father before they trapped your son into a shotgun marriage and a multi-million-dollar trust fund settlement."
Diego looked like he was going to throw up. "Father... I swear... she told me she wasn't seeing anyone else! She said I was the only one!"
Don Hector stood up slowly. He was not a tall man, but his presence filled the room like a heavy shadow. He picked up his desk phone and pressed a speed-dial button.
"Security," Don Hector commanded, his voice trembling with quiet rage. "Get my legal team on the line. Then contact Chief Inspector Alvarez at the Central Bureau. I want a full fraud investigation launched into Raul Mendez, Paola Mendez, and Teresa Mendez immediately."
He hung up the phone and looked at me. For the first time, the coldness in his eyes softened into something resembling respect.
"Mrs. Cruz," Don Hector said softly. "You saved my family from a very expensive, very humiliating mistake. What can I do for you?"
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"I don't want your money, Mr. Vargas," I said, pulling my scarf back up over my scarred cheek. "I just want you to make sure that when Raul and his family fall, they never get back up."
Don Hector offered a slow, grim nod. "Consider it done."
