CHAPTER 3 — THE MAN HE CALLED A BROTHER
Rodrigo didn't fear losing money anymore.
Money could be earned again.
A company could be rebuilt.
Even a house filled with memories could eventually be replaced.
But trust...
Once broken, it never returned the same way.
At 9:47 a.m., as he drove toward the notary's office with Paola sitting confidently in the passenger seat, his phone vibrated.
One message.
One sentence.
"You need to see this before you walk into that meeting."
It was from attorney Esteban Salazar.
Attached was a thirty-second audio file.
Rodrigo hesitated.
Then he pressed play.
A man's voice immediately filled the car through his wireless earbuds.
"I've already copied all the company contracts."
Rodrigo's hands tightened around the steering wheel.
He knew that voice.
No...
It couldn't be.
Then Paola answered.
"Perfect. Once Rodrigo signs everything over, you'll become Chief Operating Officer. Just like we agreed."
The man laughed.
"He still trusts me."
Rodrigo's heart stopped.
The recording ended.
The sender's name appeared in the investigation notes.
Mauricio Vega.
His best friend for twenty-three years.
Rodrigo met Mauricio on the first day of college.
They were two scholarship students surrounded by classmates from wealthy families.
Neither of them owned a car.
Both worked nights.
They studied together until dawn.
When Mauricio's father died unexpectedly, Rodrigo paid his tuition without ever asking for the money back.
Years later, when Rodrigo inherited the Mendoza Medical Supply Company, he hired Mauricio immediately.
Not because he needed another executive.
Because he believed family wasn't always connected by blood.
He trusted Mauricio with payroll.
Contracts.
Suppliers.
Bank negotiations.
Eventually...
Almost everything.
Every Christmas, Mauricio sat beside Doña Elvira at the family table.
She called him her "second son."
Now Rodrigo understood why Mauricio had insisted on handling so many financial documents himself.
It had never been loyalty.
It had been preparation.
Inside the passenger seat, Paola smiled while checking social media.
"People already think today's our anniversary lunch."
Rodrigo looked at her.
"What?"
She turned the phone toward him.
A perfectly edited photo.
The two of them smiling at a charity gala just weeks earlier.
The caption read:
"Seven years beside the love of my life. Grateful for every blessing. Family is everything."
Thousands of likes.
Hundreds of comments.
"Relationship goals."
"The perfect couple."
"God bless your beautiful family."
Rodrigo almost laughed.
Not because it was funny.
Because it was terrifying how easily lies could become public truth.
Meanwhile...
Across the city, Mauricio walked into Mendoza Medical Supply Company's headquarters carrying his usual leather briefcase.
The receptionist smiled.
"Good morning, Mr. Vega."
"Morning."
Everything felt normal.
Employees greeted him with respect.
Managers nodded politely.
No one suspected that within hours his entire career might collapse.
He entered his office and opened a locked drawer.
Inside rested a second cell phone.
Only one person ever called that number.
It rang almost immediately.
Paola.
"Everything's on schedule," she whispered.
"He'll sign."
Mauricio leaned back in his chair.
"And afterward?"
"We move the remaining money tonight."
"What about the overseas account?"
"Rodrigo still doesn't know it exists."
Neither of them realized another recording device—hidden inside a decorative pen Mauricio had received as a corporate gift three weeks earlier—captured every word.
The pen had been installed by Rodrigo's private investigator after unusual accounting discrepancies surfaced.
Mauricio unknowingly confessed to another crime.
At 10:02 a.m., Rodrigo and Paola arrived at the notary's office.
The lobby smelled of polished wood and fresh coffee.
Paola stepped out of the car wearing the smile of someone already celebrating victory.
She reached for Rodrigo's arm.
He quietly stepped away.
The movement was small.
Almost invisible.
But for the first time in seven years...
He refused to let her touch him.
She frowned.
"You still upset about yesterday?"
"No."
"Then what's wrong?"
Rodrigo looked directly into her eyes.
"I'm finally seeing things clearly."
For a brief moment...
Something flickered across Paola's face.
Not guilt.
Concern.
It disappeared almost instantly.
She recovered with another charming smile.
"You've always been dramatic."
Inside the conference room, the notary arranged several thick folders across a polished mahogany table.
"Good morning," he said warmly.
"These documents transfer temporary management authority while preserving all existing assets."
Paola nodded confidently.
"Exactly what we discussed."
Rodrigo remained silent.
The notary slid the papers toward him.
"Whenever you're ready."
Rodrigo picked up the pen.
Across the table, Paola could barely contain her excitement.
Years of manipulation...
Months of planning...
Everything depended on one signature.
She never noticed the second folder resting inside Rodrigo's briefcase.
It wasn't prepared by her attorneys.
It carried the seal of the State Prosecutor's Office.
Inside were certified transcripts of the recordings.
Bank records.
Financial analyses.
Witness statements.
And one arrest request awaiting judicial approval.
Rodrigo calmly uncapped the pen.
Every eye in the room watched him.
He lowered the tip toward the paper.
Then...
The conference room door suddenly opened.
Everyone turned.
Attorney Esteban Salazar walked inside, followed by two investigators carrying sealed evidence boxes.
The room fell completely silent.
Paola's confident smile finally disappeared.
She had expected witnesses.
She had expected lawyers.
She had expected signatures.
She never expected investigators.
Esteban placed a thick file on the table.
His voice was calm.
"I apologize for interrupting."
He looked directly at Paola.
"But before anyone signs these documents..."
He slowly opened the evidence folder.
"...there are seventy-three hours of recordings that everyone in this room needs to hear."
Paola felt the color drain from her face.
For the first time...
She realized the game wasn't going according to her plan.
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And she had no idea that the very first recording would expose a crime far worse than financial fraud.
End of Chapter 3...
