PART 3
Ignacio did not fall that afternoon.
Men like him don't crumble at the first sign of trouble. They straighten their jackets, call their contacts, and turn shame into authority. In less than an hour, he was already saying that Rodrigo was unstable and that an employee had manipulated him.
But this time Rodrigo wasn't alone with his doubts.
Patricia Salgado, the corporation's lawyer, requested complete security camera footage, access logs, invoices, and contracts. She also requested payment records for the mansion's maintenance.
That's where the second truth appeared.
For nearly two years, Ignacio had inflated expenses, duplicated payrolls, and used employees' names to siphon money. Elena Morales's name appeared on a list of alleged "domestic support" payments, with deposits she never received.
—It says here that you received a monthly bonus of 18,000 pesos —Patricia explained.
Elena let out a sad laugh.
—Miss, I earn less than that in the whole month.
Rodrigo felt his face burn beneath the dried paint. He was signing reports, trusting Ignacio, while someone was stealing using the name of a woman who traveled two hours by van.
"Why did I never check this?" he muttered.
—Because it suited him to believe that his uncle was guarding the door—Patricia replied.
That phrase hurt him because it was true.
Ignacio was formally summoned. He wasn't handcuffed amidst the marble, like in a novel, but the case remained open for fraud, breach of trust, and forgery. Investors froze Valle Esmeralda until Rodrigo demonstrated real control.
That night, when everyone had left, Elena silently gathered Sofi's paintings.
"I'm not coming tomorrow," he said.
Rodrigo looked up.
—Am I firing her?
—No. I'm leaving.
Sofi, asleep in a chair, hugged Capitán.
"Out of fear?" he asked.
Elena looked at him wearily.
"Out of dignity. If my daughter hadn't exposed you, you would have continued to test us with traps. A forgotten wallet. An envelope. A glance. I don't want to work where my honesty depends on a child performing a miracle."
Rodrigo wanted to defend himself, but he couldn't find a clear way to say something.
"I need the job, yes," she continued. "But I also need my daughter not to learn that one must bow one's head to eat."
That hit him harder than Ignacio's betrayal.
Because it was true.
Rodrigo could sue his uncle and change the locks. But nothing could erase the fact that he had treated Elena as a suspect from day one.
"You're right," he finally said.
Elena hadn't expected that.
“I’m not apologizing so she’ll stay,” he continued. “I’m apologizing because I was unfair. I used my fear as if it were a criterion. I let Ignacio convince me to look down on him while he robbed me from above.”
Elena lowered her gaze. Her anger didn't disappear, but it softened a little.
—And what are you going to do now?
Rodrigo walked to the mirror. He still had yellow traces on his cheek.
—Report it properly. Pay back what was stolen using workers' names. Change the contracts for my house and my businesses. No more agencies that take half, abusive schedules, or favors that are really exploitation.
—That sounds nice.
—Then don't believe me. Check it out.
The next day, Patricia summoned the cooks, gardeners, drivers, cleaning staff, and security guards. Rodrigo stood before them all, without a tie or a speech about being a sensitive businessman.
“I failed you,” he said. “I trusted the wrong person and mistrusted those who kept this house standing. From today onward, every contract will be direct. Anyone who wants to leave will receive full severance pay. Anyone who wants to stay will have fair wages, insurance, clear hours, and childcare support. I don’t ask for gratitude. I owe you respect.”
Nobody applauded.
And that was better.
Because it wasn't a show. It was a repair.
Elena didn't sign that day. She asked for 48 hours. She consulted with a lawyer specializing in domestic workers in Iztapalapa. She reviewed every clause and asked the questions she had previously been too embarrassed to ask.
When he returned, he did not enter through the service door.
He entered through the main entrance, holding Sofi's hand.
"I accept the contract," he said. "But on one condition."
Rodrigo nodded.
-Tell me.
—My daughter is nobody's pet or an ornament in their changing lives. If she comes, it will be because the daycare closed or because I decide it. And nobody in this house will ever call her a problem again.
Rodrigo looked at Sofi, who was hiding a paintbrush in her backpack.
-OK.
Sofi raised her hand.
—And another condition.
Elena closed her eyes.
—Sofi…
