Chapter 4 - The Sting
The notary’s office was quiet. Until the sirens started wailing.Friday morning arrived under a gloomy, overcast sky. True to their agreement, Sofía packed a small diaper bag and left early, claiming she was taking Mateo to a park.
Alejandro left the house at 7:30 AM, pretending to head to his construction site. Instead, he drove straight to a parking lot across the street from the notary public’s office on the south side of Monterrey.
Javier, his lawyer, was already waiting for him in his sedan.
"Everything is set," Javier said, handing Alejandro a cup of coffee. "I spoke to the state prosecutor’s office. Because your brother is attempting to use a forged power of attorney to transfer real estate—which is a major problem in this region—they’ve assigned two undercover officers to wait inside the notary's office. The moment Carlos presents the forged documents and the fake ID, they will move in."
Alejandro stared out the window, his heart thumping like a war drum. "And my mother?"
"If she is with him and actively participating in the presentation of the forged documents, she will be arrested as an accomplice," Javier explained gently. "Are you prepared for that, Ale? Watching your own mother in handcuffs?"
Alejandro closed his eyes. He pictured Sofía, drenched in sweat, holding their crying baby while his mother laughed at her phone. He pictured his mother agreeing to leave him and his son homeless.
"She made her choice when she decided to steal from my son," Alejandro said, his voice cold as steel. "Let her face the consequences."
At 10:15 AM, a battered silver sedan pulled into the notary’s parking lot.
Carlos got out of the driver's seat, wearing a cheap suit that looked entirely too tight for him. From the passenger side, Elena stepped out, smoothing down her skirt and looking around nervously. Alejandro’s father, who had remained oblivious to the depth of the criminal plot but was fully supportive of "putting Sofía in her place," stayed in the car, reading a newspaper.
"There they are," Alejandro muttered, his grip tightening around his coffee cup.
He watched through his phone's screen as Carlos and Elena entered the building. Inside the office, the hidden cameras were no longer needed; the notary’s office had its own security system, and Javier had already secured a legal hook to access the state's recording of the transaction.
Through a live audio feed provided by Javier’s contact in the police department, Alejandro listened.
"Good morning," Carlos’s voice came through the speaker, sounding arrogant and overconfident. "We have an appointment with Licenciado Peña. I am Alejandro Valenzuela, and this is my mother. We need to execute a property transfer under a power of attorney."
The receptionist’s voice was polite. "Of course. Please have a seat. The notary will be with you in a moment."
A few minutes passed—minutes that felt like hours to Alejandro.
Finally, the corrupt notary, Licenciado Peña, called them into his private office. Carlos presented the forged power of attorney, the forged signature card, and a high-quality fake Mexican national ID card bearing Alejandro’s name but Carlos’s photo.
"The paperwork looks... acceptable," Peña said, his voice dripping with greed as he slid a thick white envelope across his desk—the bribe Carlos had promised him from the money they planned to steal from the college fund. "I just need you to sign here, confirming you are Alejandro Valenzuela and that you are voluntarily transferring the deed of the Monterrey property to your brother, Carlos Valenzuela."
Carlos picked up the pen. He didn't hesitate. With a quick flick of his wrist, he forged Alejandro's signature one last time.
"Done," Carlos said, a smug grin visible in his voice. "Now, about the bank accounts—"
"Step away from the desk! Police! Do not move!"
The audio exploded into chaos.
Alejandro heard the screech of chairs scraping against the floor, his mother shriek in terror, and Carlos cursing loudly.
"What is the meaning of this?!" Carlos yelled. "I am Alejandro Valenzuela! This is my property!"
"Cut the act," an officer’s voice boomed. "We know exactly who you are, Carlos Valenzuela. You are under arrest for federal identity theft, forgery of public documents, and attempted grand fraud."
"No! Please! I’m his mother! I didn't do anything!" Elena screamed, her voice cracking with pure panic. "It was all Carlos's idea! He made me do it!"
Alejandro closed his eyes, a single tear escaping down his cheek. Even in the face of ruin, his mother didn't hesitate to throw her own golden child under the bus to save herself.
The double doors of the notary’s office flew open.
Carlos was led out first, his arms pinned behind his back, handcuffs glinting in the dull morning light. His cheap suit was wrinkled, and his face was pale with shock.
Next came Elena, weeping hysterically, her wrists bound in steel.
Alejandro stepped out of Javier’s car and walked slowly toward the entrance.
When Carlos saw his brother standing there, his eyes widened. "Alejandro! Tell them! Tell them it's a mistake! We’re family! You can't let them do this to us!"
Alejandro stopped a few feet away from his brother. He looked at him, not with anger, but with absolute pity.
"You're not my brother, Carlos," Alejandro said quietly. "My brother wouldn't try to leave my son homeless. Have fun in prison."
He turned his back on them as the police shoved them into the back of the patrol cars, their screams of protest fading into the hum of the city traffic.
But as Alejandro watched them drive away, Javier approached him, his face grim.
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"Alejandro... we have a problem," Javier said, looking at his tablet. "I just got a notification from the bank security team. Someone tried to access your son's college fund twenty minutes ago from an IP address located... inside your house."
Alejandro's blood ran cold. His father.
