Chapter 2 - The Audit of a Shadow
Valeria didn't cry. She stood beside her suitcase, her posture straight, her phone still active in her hand. The pain that had weighed her down for months was gone, replaced by a cold, crystalline focus.
"I didn't do anything, Rodrigo," Valeria said, her voice clear and carrying over the silent yard. "You did. For three years, you used my consulting firm, Vega & Associates, to route payments from your father’s logistics company. You told me they were 'consulting fees' for international clients. You had me sign the invoices because you said you wanted to help me grow my business."
"Valeria, that was internal family business!" Aurelio shouted, though his voice had lost its commanding edge. "We gave you a percentage!"
"You gave me crumbs while using my name as a shield," Valeria countered. "You thought because I loved Rodrigo, I would never look at the ledger. But when Rodrigo started acting distant six months ago—coincidentally around the same time Camila started 'borrowing' my jewelry—I decided to run a forensic audit on my own firm."
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She looked at Camila, whose pristine white satin dress suddenly looked like a cheap costume.
"I found the shell companies, Camila," Valeria said. "The ones registered in Delaware under your name. Rodrigo was siphoning money from my firm to fund your luxury apartment, your brand-new SUV, and... this wedding. You didn't just steal my fiancé. You stole my sweat, my tears, and my grandmother's legacy."
