Chapter 7 - The Collapse of Beatriz
At eleven o'clock that morning, a fleet of three black sedans pulled up the long, tree-lined driveway of the Salazar family estate.
The aftermath of the previous night’s party was still visible across the lawn. Caterers were lazily folding tables, while workers cleared away withered flowers and empty champagne bottles.
I stepped out of the lead vehicle accompanied by Daniel Mercer, two court bailiffs, and four uniform officers from the state judicial police.
My mother emerged onto the grand stone porch wearing an elegant silk morning gown, a cup of coffee held delicate in her hand. She looked exhausted, but when she saw me approaching with police officers, her eyes flared with aristocratic indignation.
"Ricardo!" she shouted, walking down the steps. "Have you completely lost your mind?! Sending police to my home?! How dare you!"
The lead bailiff, Officer Vargas, stepped forward, opening an official leather folder. "Beatriz Salazar?"
"Do not address me so casually!" she snapped. "Do you know who I am?!"
"Ma'am, I am serving you with a federal asset injunction order, an emergency protective order on behalf of Sofía Salazar, and an immediate notice of property vacation issued by Willow Holdings," Officer Vargas stated calmly, handing her a thick stack of legal papers.
Beatriz didn't look at the papers. She threw them onto the stone driveway, turning her fury on me.
"You ungrateful brute!" she screamed, her face contorting with rage. "I raised you! I protected you from that useless woman! I built this family! You owe everything you have to my guidance!"
"You didn't build anything, Mother," I said, stepping closer and looking down at her. "You stole forty-two million pesos from my firm. You embezzled my daughter's support money. You forged my signature, you bribed officials, and you starved an eight-year-old child in your backyard."
"She was a spoiled, undisciplined brat!" Beatriz shrieked, dropping all pretense of innocence. "She reminded me of her pathetic mother every single day! She deserved everything she got!"
Officer Vargas glanced at his fellow officers, nodding sharply. "Beatriz Salazar, you are under arrest for felony child abuse, grand larceny, and corporate forgery. You have the right to remain silent."
Two officers stepped forward, catching her arms and pulling them behind her back to snap steel handcuffs around her wrists.
"Get your hands off me!" Beatriz screamed, thrashing against the officers' firm grip. "Ricardo! Tell them to stop! Call your legal team! You cannot let them treat me like a criminal!"
"My legal team is the one that filed the charges, Mother," I said coldly as the officers guided her down the stone steps toward the police cruiser.
"I am your mother!" she shrieked, her voice cracking as her silk dress caught on the car door. "You cannot do this to me! I will destroy you! I will tell the press everything!"
"The press already knows," Daniel Mercer interjected smoothly, holding up his tablet. "A complete press release detailing your financial crimes and child abuse charges was issued to every major news outlet in Jalisco thirty minutes ago. Your social standings, your club memberships, and your political appointments have all been formally revoked."
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Beatriz stopped struggling. She looked at the flashing red and blue lights of the police cruiser, then looked at the sprawling mansion behind me—the estate she had sacrificed her soul to maintain. For the first time in her life, absolute terror filled her eyes as she realized that her money, her power, and her social stature had vanished entirely.
The police door slammed shut, locking her inside.
