CHAPTER 3: EVERYTHING HE OWNED
Three hours later, Rogelio sat in the backseat of his luxury car.
Or what used to be his luxury car.
His company phone had been disabled.
His corporate apartment access had been revoked.
His expense accounts were frozen.
Then his personal credit card declined.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
The restaurant manager stood awkwardly beside him.
“I'm sorry, sir.”
Rogelio stared at the machine.
“Try again.”
The result was the same.
DECLINED.
Jimena slowly stepped away from the table.
“Rogelio... what's happening?”
He didn't answer.
Because he didn't know.
By midnight, the truth arrived.
A legal packet waited at the apartment entrance.
The apartment wasn't his.
The vehicle wasn't his.
The accounts weren't his.
Everything had been provided through corporate privileges.
Privileges that no longer existed.
At the bottom of the documents was a single sentence:
"All assets remain property of Grupo Altavista."
Rogelio suddenly remembered something.
Years ago, Valeria's father had mentioned a trust.
He had never listened.
He never thought it mattered.
Now it mattered.
Desperately.
The next morning, he drove to Valeria's house.
Not to apologize.
At least not at first.
He wanted answers.
But when the door opened, he saw something he had never truly looked at before.
Valeria.
Holding one of the twins.
Tired.
Strong.
Calm.
No makeup.
No expensive jewelry.
And somehow more dignified than anyone at the gala.
For the first time, Rogelio understood exactly what he had lost.
Not the position.
May you like
Not the money.
Her.
