Chapter 9 - The New Master of San Ángel
By Wednesday afternoon, the news was everywhere. Headlines blazed across every major news portal in the country: “Fall of a Dynasty: Congressman Diego Garza Arrested in Massive Embezzlement Scandal; Historic San Ángel Estate Foreclosed.”
Social media was having a field day. The very society women who had fawned over Paulina at every Polanco gala were now deleting her photos from their profiles, distancing themselves from the sinking ship with ruthless speed.
I was standing in the grand courtyard of the San Ángel estate, watching as a landscaping crew began clearing away the dead ivy and overgrown rosebushes that my mother had spent decades neglecting.
Andrés walked up behind me, wrapping a light cashmere shawl around my shoulders and resting his chin gently on my shoulder.
“The title transfer is fully registered,” Andrés murmured. “The property is officially in your name. What do you want to do with it? Sell it? Demolish it?”
I looked around the sprawling colonial courtyard, remembering the cold, loveless dinners, the endless judgment, and the terrifying moment when my mother had grabbed my four-year-old daughter by the hair over a painted Easter egg.
“No, Andrés,” I smiled softly, watching Sofia run across the freshly mown lawn in her little yellow dress, chasing a butterfly without a single care in the world. “We’re not going to sell it.”
“What are you going to do?”
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“We’re going to tear down the old iron gates,” I replied calmly. “And we’re going to turn this place into a free educational foundation and arts center for underprivileged children. Let the Rivas name finally stand for something good for once.”
Andrés smiled, kissing the top of my head. “It’s a perfect plan.”
