CHAPTER 3 — The Man Everyone Trusted
Mariana didn't leave Eduardo's office.
The photograph remained in her hands while the city lights reflected against the glass walls of Grupo Biomédica del Centro.
Eduardo.
Beatriz.
Ximena.
And the mysterious fourth person whose face had been deliberately torn away.
Whoever had ripped the picture hadn't wanted to destroy the memory.
They wanted to erase an identity.
Mauricio examined the silver ring through a magnifying glass.
"The initials are definitely A.V."
Mariana nodded slowly.
"I've seen that ring before."
"Where?"
She looked toward the financial reports scattered across Eduardo's desk.
"On Alejandro Valdés."
The company's Chief Financial Officer.
The man every employee described as honest.
The executive who had worked beside Mariana for almost nine years.
The man she had trusted with every annual audit.
For the first time in weeks...
Mariana felt genuinely afraid.
If Alejandro was involved...
Then the conspiracy had been growing inside her own company for years.
The next morning, Mariana arrived at headquarters before sunrise.
She told no one she was coming.
Not even her assistant.
The lobby security guard looked surprised.
"Mrs. Ríos? We weren't expecting you."
"I know."
She smiled politely.
"I'd like yesterday's access logs."
Within minutes, she was reviewing every electronic entry made during the previous month.
One name appeared again...
and again...
and again.
Alejandro Valdés.
Late-night visits.
Weekend entries.
Holiday access.
Always after everyone else had gone home.
None of them had been scheduled.
At ten o'clock sharp, Alejandro walked into the executive conference room carrying his usual leather portfolio.
He looked calm.
Perfectly dressed.
Perfectly composed.
"Mariana."
He smiled warmly.
"I'm relieved you're back."
She returned the smile.
"So am I."
Neither of them mentioned Eduardo.
Neither mentioned the accident.
Instead, Mariana placed several financial statements on the table.
"I've been reviewing last year's consulting expenses."
Alejandro barely glanced at them.
"Everything was approved."
"I noticed."
"And?"
"I couldn't find the consultants."
For the first time...
His smile weakened.
"They work internationally."
"Interesting."
Mariana slid another folder across the table.
"I hired investigators."
"They couldn't find them either."
Silence.
Only the soft hum of the air conditioner filled the room.
Alejandro calmly closed the folder.
"Accounting errors happen."
Mariana leaned forward.
"Eighty million pesos isn't an accounting error."
His eyes met hers.
For one brief second...
Neither of them blinked.
Then Alejandro stood.
"If you'll excuse me, I have another meeting."
He left without another word.
Mariana watched him disappear into the hallway.
"He didn't deny it," Mauricio whispered.
"No."
"He only avoided it."
That afternoon, Mauricio called with unexpected news.
"We traced Desarrollos Altavista."
Mariana immediately stopped what she was doing.
"Who owns it?"
"Officially?"
"A retired gardener."
She frowned.
"And unofficially?"
Mauricio hesitated.
"The paperwork keeps changing."
"Every six months, ownership transfers to another fake identity."
"So we've reached another dead end."
"Not exactly."
He emailed her a document.
"There was one mistake."
Mariana opened the attachment.
Among hundreds of digital records...
One invoice contained the wrong destination account.
Instead of going to Desarrollos Altavista...
It had gone directly to a luxury condominium developer in Cancún.
The buyer's representative...
Alejandro Valdés.
That evening, Mariana decided to visit Eduardo again.
He was sitting upright in his hospital bed when she entered.
"You came."
"I always keep my promises."
She placed fresh flowers on the table.
Eduardo looked exhausted.
"I've been thinking."
"So have I."
He reached for her hand.
She allowed it.
"I know this situation looks terrible."
"It does."
"But Ximena isn't what you think."
Mariana remained expressionless.
"Then tell me what she is."
Eduardo opened his mouth...
But before he could answer...
The room door suddenly opened.
A nurse rushed inside.
"Mrs. Ríos..."
"You need to come quickly."
"What happened?"
"It's the woman from the accident."
"Ximena?"
The nurse nodded.
"She disappeared."
Mariana froze.
"What do you mean disappeared?"
"She checked herself out against medical advice."
"When?"
"Twenty minutes ago."
"Did she leave alone?"
The nurse looked confused.
"No."
"Someone signed her discharge papers."
"Who?"
The nurse handed Mariana a visitor authorization form.
Across the bottom...
One signature appeared in elegant blue ink.
Alejandro Valdés.
Before Mariana could process what she had just seen, her phone vibrated.
Unknown number.
She answered cautiously.
No one spoke.
Only slow breathing.
Then...
A woman's frightened whisper.
"Don't trust anyone inside the company."
Mariana's heart pounded.
"Who is this?"
"You were never supposed to survive."
The call disconnected.
Seconds later, another message appeared on her phone.
No text.
Only a photograph.
It showed her own house.
Taken from across the street.
The timestamp read...
Five minutes ago.
Someone wasn't just watching the company anymore.
Someone was watching her.
And for the first time, Mariana realized the conspiracy had already moved beyond stolen money.
May you like
Now...
She was the target.
