Chapter 5 - The Corporate Guillotine
While the Falkner family huddled in a cheap, flea-bitten motel off the Periférico highway, Mariana sat in the glass-walled boardroom of her corporate headquarters in Monterrey, presiding over a quarterly strategic review.
She wore a crisp, tailored navy blue pantsuit, her hair pulled back into a severe, elegant chignon. Her executive team hung on her every word as she outlined a multi-million-dollar logistics expansion across South America.
When the meeting concluded, her chief financial officer, Roberto Garza, stayed behind, closing the boardroom door.
“Mariana,” Roberto said hesitantly, sliding a manila folder across the mahogany table. “I received an inquiry from Daniel Falkner’s former business associates this morning. They’re asking about his corporate expense authorizations from last year.”
Mariana didn’t open the folder. She kept her pen poised over her notes. “And what did you tell them?”
“I told them that all internal audits are handled by legal compliance,” Roberto replied carefully. “But between you and me... we found irregularities. Daniel was charging personal luxury travel and high-end restaurant tabs to the Monterrey regional development budget, claiming they were client acquisition meetings.”
A cold, beautiful smile touched the corner of Mariana’s mouth. 𝜇
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“File the audit report directly with the Federal Fiscal Prosecutor’s office,” Mariana instructed quietly. “Let the tax authorities handle his creative accounting. People who live off stolen labor deserve a government-issued uniform.”
Roberto blinked, a slow grin spreading across his face. “Consider it done.”
