—And I would like no documents to be destroyed or any more funds to be transferred while this is being clarified.
Mateo let out a nervous laugh.
—Are you going to bring lawyers to my wedding now too?
Elena looked at him calmly.
“It’s not your wedding, Mr. Rivas. The ceremony hasn’t even started, and the bride just canceled it.”
Some guests lowered their gaze. Others looked at Mateo with a mixture of indignation and bewilderment.
Sofia approached Camila and spoke through gritted teeth.
Listen to me carefully. You don’t know who you’re messing with. My family has connections that could make you lose much more than a couple of condos.
Camila tilted her head slightly.
—Are you threatening me?
—I’m giving you some advice.
—Then I’ll give you one myself. Don’t you ever come near my property or my company again.
Sofia forced a smile.
—Do you think those two condominiums are what matters to us?
Camila stopped breathing for a moment.
It was the second time she’d heard something like this. First, Mateo had talked about other things. Now Sofía admitted that the condos weren’t the real objective.
“What more do you want?” he asked.
Mateo looked towards the main exit.
Sofia grabbed his arm.
“Shut up,” he whispered.
But Camila had already seen the expression on both their faces.
It wasn’t just fear of losing money.
It was fear that she would discover something that was not yet appearing on the screen.
Elena approached the stage and handed him a sealed envelope.
—Camila, there’s something else. We found it on the company server this morning. The document was hidden inside an acquisitions folder.
Camila broke the seal.
The first page contained the name Mateo. The second, Sofia’s.
The third one contained a clause that I did not recognize.
*SECRET PURCHASE AGREEMENT.*
Mateo took a step towards her.
—Don’t read that.
Camila looked up.
-Because?
He did not answer.
Sofia began to slowly back away.
Camila turned the page and found the name of a company that did not belong to Halcyon, nor to any of its known subsidiaries.
A company that had requested to acquire a part of the company months ago.
And whose real owner was listed in a confidential annex.
Camila read the name once.
Then another one.
Her hand closed around the paper.
Because the man who appeared as the ultimate beneficiary was not Mateo.
It wasn’t Sofia either.
He was someone who had been sitting among the guests since the beginning of the evening.
And when Camila looked up to find him, she discovered that his seat was empty.
Chapter 3: The Guest Who Disappeared
Camila looked at the empty chair again.
At table number seven there was still a half-drunk glass of champagne, a folded napkin, and a card with the guest’s name on it.
*RICARDO MONTALVO.*
For a moment, the noise from the living room seemed to fade away. Camila knew that name. Not because they were friends, but because Ricardo had tried to buy Halcyon Technologies nine months earlier with an offer that seemed generous until his legal team discovered several abusive terms.
The deal never went through.
Or so she had believed.
“Where is Ricardo?” he asked.
No one answered.
Arturo approached the table and picked up the card.
—He was here less than ten minutes ago. I saw him talking to the organizer.
Elena opened the document’s appendix.
—Ricardo Montalvo is the ultimate beneficiary of the company that was going to acquire the assets that appear in this agreement.
Camila turned the page.
The document described a multi-stage operation. First, Mateo would gain control over certain private assets belonging to Camila. Then, an intermediary company would use those assets as collateral to finance an acquisition of assets linked to Halcyon.
Camila’s signature was essential.
Without it, the operation could not be carried out as planned.
“Were you planning to use my properties to finance the purchase of my own company?” Camila asked.
Elena nodded slowly.
—It seems so. But there’s something I still don’t understand. Why would they need you to sign a personal transfer document to complete a corporate transaction?
Arturo accepted the agreement.
—Because the property deed isn’t the only document. A supplementary guarantee instrument is mentioned here.
Camila felt a chill.
-Where is?
Arturo checked the envelope, page by page.
—He’s not here.
Mateo let out a laugh that was too quick.
—Perhaps because all of this is a ridiculous interpretation of documents that no one has properly explained.
Camila looked at him.
—Did you know Ricardo was here?
—He’s a friend of my mother.
Sofia lifted her chin.
“I invited him because he’s a respectable investor. I’m not going to apologize for meeting people who can help you grow.”
