The cool morning air of Mexico City’s high-altitude autumn cut through Roberto’s silk pajamas, but he barely felt it. Sitting in his dimly lit glass-walled study in the ultra-exclusive gated neighborhood of Lomas de Chapultepec, he wasn't sleeping. He hadn't slept for a single second since walking out of that restaurant in San Ángel six hours ago.

The tropical night air of Cancun hit Elena and Sofia as they stepped out of the commercial terminal at 11:30 PM.

Despite having no access to their credit cards, they felt a surge of exhilaration. They had successfully passed through airport security in Mexico City without being stopped. In their minds, they had beaten Roberto.

They checked into a modest beachfront hotel using cash Alejandro had wired to a local Western Union pickup point.

The next morning, at 7:00 AM, the sun broke over the turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea.

Elena wore a wide-brimmed sun hat and giant oversized sunglasses, sipping a mimosa at the hotel breakfast lounge. Sofia was busy updating her Instagram draft posts, preparing to post photos of their upcoming luxury lifestyle in Europe.

"I can't wait to see Roberto’s face when his lawyers realize the charity money is completely gone," Sofia giggled, taking a selfie. "He thought he was so powerful kicking us out of the house. Now he’s going to look like the biggest fool in Mexico!"

"He was always a fool, Sofia," Elena scoffed, taking a bite of tropical fruit. "He was a boring, workaholic country boy who got lucky in construction. He lacked style, he lacked sophistication. I gave sixteen years of my youth to that man just to give you the best life possible. Now, we finally get our reward."

At 7:45 AM, a sleek black Suburban sent by the private charter company picked them up from the hotel lobby. Ten minutes later, the vehicle pulled up to the security gates of the Cancun International Airport Private Aviation Terminal (FBO).

The driver swiped a clearance badge, and the heavy security gates slid open.

The SUV drove onto the private tarmac, stopping right beside a gleaming white private jet with tail number N882AV.

The cabin door of the jet lowered, and a staircase extended to the pavement.

Stepping down the stairs, wearing an unbuttoned linen shirt, designer sunglasses, and holding a glass of scotch, was Alejandro Valdovinos.

"Dad!" Sofia shrieked in delight, jumping out of the SUV and running up the tarmac to throw her arms around him.

"My beautiful girl!" Alejandro laughed, hugging her tightly before kissing Elena passionately on the lips. "Welcome to the beginning of our real life, my love. Everything is set."

"Is the money safe?" Elena whispered eagerly, looking around the tarmac.

"The Swiss bank confirmed the release codes ten minutes ago," Alejandro boasted, pulling out a encrypted tablet. "All $6.2 million USD is currently sitting in a holding ledger. Once we take off and hit international airspace in fifteen minutes, I enter the final authorization PIN, and the funds disperse into three untraceable trusts in Liechtenstein. Roberto will never recover a single cent!"

"You're a genius, Alejandro!" Elena cheered, wiping a tear of joy from her eye. "Let's get on the plane! I don't want to spend another second in this country!"

"Leaving so soon?" a voice echoed across the tarmac.

The voice didn't come from the plane.

It came from a line of three black armored Cadillacs that had just silently pulled up onto the tarmac, cutting off the jet’s escape path.