Chapter 6 - The Woman in the Boardroom
“At the bottom was a third name.”
Sebastián did not read it aloud.
Valentina stepped closer.
“Give me the page.”
Rafael’s face had turned gray.
“Sebastián.”
The old billionaire looked at him.
“What?”
“Don’t.”
Andrés stared at his father.
“Again?”
Rafael said nothing.
“Every time we reach the truth, you tell someone not to speak.”
“This is different.”
“You said that about Mother’s letter.”
“Andrés—”
“No.”
He crossed the room and held out his hand.
“Give me the record.”
Sebastián hesitated.
Then Valentina suddenly gripped the edge of the table.
Her breath caught.
Andrés forgot the paper.
“Sit down.”
“I’m fine.”
“You’re supposed to be in bed.”
“I said I’m fine.”
“You’re bleeding because you weren’t fine.”
Valentina glared at him.
“Stop ordering me around.”
“I’m not ordering you.”
“It sounds exactly like it.”
Dr. Navarro appeared in the doorway.
“What part of bed rest was unclear?”
Valentina closed her eyes.
“Doctor—”
“Bed. Now.”
“There’s something I need to—”
“No.”
Dr. Navarro pointed toward the corridor.
“You can discover every family secret in Mexico tomorrow. Tonight you are going back to your room.”
Despite everything, Sebastián smiled faintly.
Valentina noticed.
“Don’t encourage her.”
“I wouldn’t dare.”
The doctor looked at Andrés.
“You.”
“Yes?”
“Help her.”
Valentina opened her mouth.
Dr. Navarro cut her off.
“Unless you’d rather have Gabriel carry you.”
Valentina glared at everyone.
Then allowed Andrés to offer his arm.
The contact was small.
Her fingers around his sleeve.
Nothing more.
Yet Andrés felt it.
Ten years of instinct did not disappear because a judge stamped a document.
He walked her back to the room.
At the bed, she released him immediately.
“You should join the board meeting.”
“I was removed.”
“You still own shares.”
“Not enough.”
“You still have responsibilities.”
“So do I.”
Her eyes narrowed.
“What does that mean?”
“It means I’m not leaving the hospital.”
“Andrés.”
“No.”
“You have a company collapsing.”
“And a child in this room.”
Valentina looked down.
The anger faded slightly.
“You can’t fix this by standing outside my door.”
“I know.”
“Then why stay?”
He thought about lying.
Instead:
“Because I wasn’t here when you needed me before.”
She looked at him.
“That doesn’t mean I need you now.”
“I know.”
Another silence.
“I’m staying anyway.”
For once, Valentina did not argue.
Dr. Navarro entered behind them.
“Good. Now everyone except my patient leaves.”
Andrés stepped into the corridor.
Sebastián and Rafael waited near the consultation room.
The medical envelope was gone.
“Where’s the page?” Andrés asked.
Sebastián looked at Gabriel.
Gabriel had it.
Of course.
“Give it to me.”
“No.”
Andrés laughed.
“Does anyone in this building understand that I’m tired of being told no?”
Sebastián’s expression remained calm.
“The record is incomplete.”
“I can read incomplete documents.”
“The third name is not the problem.”
“What is?”
“The relationship.”
Andrés stared.
“Relationship to whom?”
Sebastián looked at Rafael.
His father appeared exhausted.
“Tell him.”
Rafael sat down.
For several seconds, he stared at his hands.
Then he spoke.
“Your mother had a sister.”
Andrés frowned.
“No, she didn’t.”
“Yes.”
“I met her parents.”
“They never spoke about her.”
“Why?”
“Because she disappeared.”
“What does that mean?”
“She left home at eighteen. Changed her name. Cut contact.”
“And what does this have to do with Valentina?”
Rafael looked at Sebastián.
The old man continued.
“Rosa’s sister was named Elena.”
Andrés waited.
“She became involved with a man your grandparents hated. There was a pregnancy.”
His stomach tightened.
“A baby?”
“Yes.”
“What happened?”
“We don’t know.”
“That’s convenient.”
“It’s the truth.”
Sebastián’s voice hardened.
“Some secrets exist because people are dishonest. Others exist because records are genuinely missing.”
Andrés looked at the page in Gabriel’s hand.
“The third name belongs to that baby?”
“We believe so.”
“Who?”
Sebastián answered.
“Mateo.”
Silence.
Andrés stared.
“No.”
Rafael looked at the floor.
“No.”
Andrés repeated it louder.
“Mateo Cruz?”
“We don’t know yet.”
“He’s on my board meeting right now.”
“Yes.”
“He was proposed by Montoro.”
Sebastián’s expression changed.
“Not by me.”
Andrés stopped.
“What?”
“I did not propose Mateo Cruz.”
“Montoro did.”
“No.”
“Lucía said—”
“Montoro Capital has several controlling committees. I did not authorize his nomination.”
Andrés looked at Valentina’s closed hospital door.
“Did she?”
“No.”
“You’re certain?”
“Absolutely.”
“Then who did?”
Sebastián’s eyes narrowed.
“That is what I intend to find out.”
Andrés’s laptop chimed from the consultation room.
The board meeting.
He had forgotten it remained connected.
He went back inside.
Mateo’s face was still on the screen.
The chairman was speaking.
“Mr. Talamantes has rejoined.”
Mateo looked directly into the camera.
“Andrés.”
Andrés sat.
“Mateo.”
Eight years had changed him.
His hair was shorter.
His face leaner.
A faint scar crossed his left eyebrow.
But the eyes were the same.
Once, Andrés had trusted those eyes more than anyone’s.
They had met at university.
Built their first investment model together.
Shared cheap apartments and impossible plans.
Mateo had joined Talamantes Global before Andrés became CEO.
Then came the Veracruz project.
A cost overrun.
Missing funds.
An internal investigation.
Evidence pointed toward Mateo.
Andrés fired him personally.
Mateo disappeared from his life.
Until now.
The chairman continued.
“Mr. Cruz has agreed to serve as interim CEO for ninety days, subject to final approval.”
Andrés leaned forward.
“Who nominated him?”
The chairman glanced down.
“The restructuring committee.”
“Which member?”
“That is confidential.”
“Not to shareholders.”
Mateo spoke.
“I can answer.”
Everyone went silent.
Andrés stared at him.
“Then answer.”
“I was contacted three weeks ago.”
Three weeks.
Again.
The same week as Valentina’s first bleeding.
The medical records.
Rafael’s envelope.
Too many things had begun three weeks ago.
“By whom?”
Mateo leaned back.
“A representative of V.R. Holdings.”
Andrés’s eyes narrowed.
“Valentina.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“V.R. is her trust.”
“Partially.”
The word stopped him.
“What do you mean partially?”
Mateo glanced toward someone off-camera.
“I was told the ownership structure would be disclosed after the vote.”
“Then the vote doesn’t happen.”
“You’re no longer CEO.”
“I’m still a shareholder.”
“And you’re still arrogant.”
There he was.
The old Mateo.
Andrés almost felt twenty-eight again.
“Why did you accept?”
“Because the company needs restructuring.”
“You always wanted my chair.”
Mateo smiled without warmth.
“No. Eight years ago I wanted your friendship.”
Andrés’s jaw tightened.
“You stole from the Veracruz project.”
“No.”
“The audit proved it.”
“The audit proved money disappeared.”
“From accounts you controlled.”
“Yes.”
“Then what exactly are you claiming?”
“That you never asked where it went.”
The room became quiet.
Andrés stared at the screen.
“We traced the transfers.”
“No. Your lawyers traced them.”
“What’s the difference?”
“Your lawyers were paid by the people who wanted me gone.”
Andrés leaned closer.
“Who?”
Mateo looked directly into the camera.
“Ask your father.”
Andrés turned.
Rafael stood behind him.
His face changed.
“Dad?”
Rafael shook his head.
“I don’t know what he means.”
Mateo laughed.
“You really want to do this?”
Rafael stepped toward the laptop.
“You stole company funds.”
“I moved company funds.”
“Without authorization.”
“With authorization.”
“From whom?”
Mateo’s eyes shifted.
Then he said:
“Rosa Talamantes.”
Andrés froze.
“My mother was dead.”
“Yes.”
“Eight years ago she had been dead for four years.”
“I know.”
“Then how did a dead woman authorize anything?”
Mateo’s expression remained steady.
“Through a trust.”
Andrés felt the room tilt.
Sebastián entered.
He had heard enough.
“What trust?”
Mateo recognized him.
“Sebastián.”
“Answer the question.”
Mateo’s confidence flickered.
“The Rosa Continuity Trust.”
Sebastián gripped his wheelchair.
“That trust was dissolved.”
“No.”
Mateo shook his head.
“It was hidden.”
“By whom?”
“I don’t know.”
Sebastián’s face went cold.
“Where did you see it?”
“In Veracruz.”
Andrés interrupted.
“What does that mean?”
Mateo looked at him.
“The money you accused me of stealing was transferred into a protected account because someone was siphoning funds from Talamantes Global.”
“Who?”
“I never found out.”
“You expect me to believe you sacrificed your career to hide money?”
“No.”
“I expect you to understand that I thought your father knew.”
Rafael stepped forward.
“I knew nothing about this.”
Mateo studied him.
For the first time, he seemed uncertain.
“Then someone used your credentials.”
Rafael stopped.
“What credentials?”
“Executive authorization R-T-01.”
Rafael’s face drained.
“That code belonged to Rosa.”
Sebastián whispered:
“After her death?”
“Yes.”
Mateo nodded.
“It remained active.”
Andrés looked between them.
“Who had access?”
Rafael shook his head.
“No one.”
“That’s impossible.”
“I shut it down myself.”
“Apparently not.”
The chairman interrupted.
“We cannot continue this discussion during an emergency leadership vote.”
Andrés snapped:
“This discussion may explain why your emergency exists.”
Silence.
Mateo looked toward the chairman.
“I agree.”
The chairman frowned.
“Mr. Cruz—”
“I withdraw my acceptance.”
Every director reacted.
Andrés stared.
“What?”
Mateo continued.
“I will not take the CEO position until the ownership issue is resolved.”
“Why?”
Mateo looked at him.
“Because I didn’t know Valentina Reyes was involved.”
Andrés felt something tighten.
“What does Valentina have to do with you?”
“Nothing.”
“Then why does her name matter?”
Mateo hesitated.
Sebastián watched him closely.
“Tell him.”
Mateo looked toward Sebastián.
“You know?”
“I suspect.”
Andrés slammed his hand onto the table.
“Enough.”
Mateo exhaled.
“Eight years ago, after you fired me, someone paid my legal bills.”
Andrés stared.
“Who?”
“I didn’t know.”
“How much?”
“Everything.”
“Why?”
“I spent years trying to find out.”
“And?”
“Three weeks ago, I finally did.”
Again.
Three weeks.
“Who?”
Mateo’s eyes shifted away.
“V.R. Holdings.”
Andrés looked toward Valentina’s room.
“She helped you?”
“I never spoke to her.”
“Why would she protect you?”
“I don’t know.”
Sebastián did.
Andrés saw it.
“You know.”
The old man remained silent.
“Why would Valentina pay Mateo’s legal bills?”
Sebastián looked toward Rafael.
Then toward Gabriel.
Finally:
“Because Isabel Reyes asked her to.”
Andrés stared.
“Her mother died when Valentina was seventeen.”
“Yes.”
“So this instruction existed before Mateo even worked for us?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Sebastián closed his eyes.
“Because Isabel knew Rosa’s sister.”
The room fell silent.
Andrés slowly turned toward the medical record Gabriel still held.
Mateo.
Rosa’s missing sister.
The third baby.
Valentina’s mother.
Connections created before any of them were old enough to understand them.
“What was the instruction?”
Sebastián answered.
“Protect Elena’s child if he ever comes near the Talamantes family.”
Andrés looked at Mateo on the screen.
Mateo had gone completely still.
“You knew your mother was named Elena?”
Mateo’s face changed.
“My mother was named Carmen.”
Rafael whispered:
“No.”
Everyone looked at him.
He stepped closer to the laptop.
“Carmen was the name Elena used after she disappeared.”
Mateo stared through the screen.
“What did you say?”
Rafael repeated it.
“Your mother was Elena Rosa Talamantes.”
Mateo stood abruptly.
The camera shook.
“No.”
“Mateo—”
“No.”
He disappeared from frame.
The board meeting dissolved into voices.
Then the connection went dark.
Andrés sat frozen.
His former best friend.
His mother’s nephew.
His cousin.
Maybe.
Andrés’s phone vibrated.
Gabriel looked at his own phone at the same time.
Another hospital security officer appeared in the doorway.
“Mr. Soto.”
Gabriel stood.
“What?”
“We have a problem downstairs.”
“What kind?”
“A woman is asking for Ms. Reyes.”
“Name?”
The guard hesitated.
“She refuses to give one.”
Gabriel’s expression hardened.
“Do not let her upstairs.”
The guard swallowed.
“She’s already upstairs.”
Everyone turned toward the corridor.
Footsteps approached.
Slow.
Measured.
Then Valentina’s hospital-room door opened from the inside.
A woman’s voice said:
“I’ve been waiting twenty-seven years to meet you.”
May you like
Andrés stepped into the hallway.
The woman standing beside Valentina’s bed looked almost exactly like his dead mother.
