Chapter 6 - The Ultimate Betrayal
🔴 TRENDING: "THE TRUTH IS LIVE! The Most Shocking Climax in Social Media History!"Outside, the rain began to fall, matching the chaotic storm inside the Zapopan Cultural Center.
Diego walked out of the backstage area, holding Renata tightly in his arms, her face buried in his shoulder. Javier met them in the lobby.
"We caught Karla," Javier said, his face grim. "She was trying to get to her car in the VIP parking lot. She had the tablet. She tried to smash it, but our tech team already secured the hard drive. We have the evidence, Diego."
"Thank God," Diego breathed.
"But we have a problem," Javier whispered, drawing Diego aside. "Your father... he's already making calls. Two local judges just contacted our field office demanding his release. A local police escort is arriving to demand custody of the suspects under 'jurisdictional disputes.' Armando was right. His network in Jalisco is too deep. If we put him in a local van, he might 'escape' before we reach Mexico City."
Diego looked at his father, who was standing near the exit, cuffed but smiling smugly at the federal agents. Armando knew he was going to walk. He looked at Diego and mouthed: “See you tomorrow, son.”
Diego felt a cold, hard determination settle in his chest.
"He thinks his power is in his secrets," Diego whispered. "We need to make sure he has no secrets left."
Diego looked at the main stage. The recital had been halted. The audience was sitting in confused silence, whispering about the gunshots and the police presence.
"Javier," Diego said. "Can your tech guys patch the tablet’s video feed into the cultural center's main projector screen?"
Javier stared at him, his eyes slowly widening as he realized what Diego was planning. A slow, savage smile spread across the agent's face. "Oh, absolutely. We can broadcast it to every local news channel too. The federal media liaison is right outside."
Five minutes later.
Armando and Karla were being led through the main lobby toward the exit. Armando was loudly lecturing the federal officers about their careers being over.
Suddenly, the massive digital screens lining the lobby—and the giant projector screen inside the auditorium—flickered.
The audio echoed through the entire building’s state-of-the-art sound system.
“Can you still see the bruises?” Armando’s voice boomed, crystal clear, echoing off the high ceilings.
The screen showed the video. There was Armando, sitting in his favorite armchair. And there was Karla, holding a cup of coffee, looking completely unbothered.
“Yes. But today you can be rougher. Just make sure nothing shows during the recital.”
The lobby fell dead silent.
The wealthy socialites, the politicians, the judges, the journalists—everyone froze, their eyes glued to the screens.
Inside the auditorium, a collective, horrified gasp erupted from hundreds of people.
Armando’s smug smile vanished. The color drained from his face, leaving him looking old, frail, and utterly defeated. He looked around the room, but the admiration in the eyes of his peers had turned to pure, unadulterated disgust. The politicians who had just been calling judges to free him quickly turned their backs, pulling out their phones to distance themselves from the radioactive scandal.
Karla began to scream, hiding her face as the crowd began to shout insults at her.
Diego walked past them, holding Renata. He stopped in front of his father.
"The Arriaga name used to stand for honor," Diego said, his voice carrying over the stunned silence of the room. "But from now on, it stands for justice. Enjoy your new home, Father."
As the federal agents dragged Armando and Karla out into the pouring rain, surrounded by flashing cameras and shouting reporters, Diego walked out the side door, carrying his daughter into the fresh, clean air.
Under the glowing streetlights, Renata looked up at the sky, a soft, genuine smile finally gracing her lips.
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"Daddy," she whispered. "The storm is over."
"Yes, my love," Diego smiled, kissing her cheek. "It's finally over."
