Chapter 3 - The Gala of Reckoning
The Grand Ballroom of the Four Seasons Hotel was a sea of glittering diamonds, silk tuxedos, and champagne flutes. It was the night of the Rivas Foundation Gala, the crown jewel of Mexico City’s high society social calendar.
Despite the terrible morning on the stock market, Santiago and Beatriz had managed to put on their masks. Santiago wore a bespoke tuxedo, though his eyes were bloodshot and his hands shook slightly whenever he picked up a glass. Beatriz stood beside him, draped in emeralds, her face frozen in a rigid, desperate smile as she greeted guests, trying to downplay the "vicious financial rumors" spread by jealous competitors.
"Everything is under control," Beatriz muttered through her teeth to Santiago between greetings. "We just need the Alvarez family to sign the joint venture agreement tonight. If they inject the capital, we can pay off the Salazar loan and bury that little brat Valeria forever."
"I should have broken her neck," Santiago hissed under his breath, his eyes scanning the room nervously. "Where is she? My lawyers can't find her. The police haven't issued a warrant yet, which means her 'livestream' might have been a bluff."
"Of course it was a bluff," Beatriz sneered. "She's an orphan schoolteacher. Who would believe her over us? Smile, Santiago. Here comes the press."
The flashes of cameras blinded them as they posed at the entrance of the ballroom. For a moment, Santiago felt a surge of his old arrogance. He was still Santiago Rivas. No one could touch him.
Suddenly, the heavy double doors at the main entrance of the ballroom swung open.
The chatter in the room died down instantly. The string quartet stopped playing mid-note. A heavy, suffocating silence blanketed the entire ballroom as every head turned toward the entrance.
Walking in, flanked by four elite security officers, was Valeria.
She looked radiant, an absolute vision of regal power. She wore a stunning midnight-blue silk gown that elegantly accentuated her eight-month pregnancy. Her hair was swept up in a flawless chignon, exposing her elegant neck, completely devoid of the fear that had defined her for two years. Around her neck sat a flawless diamond necklace worth more than the entire Rivas mansion—the Salazar family heirloom.
And walking right beside her, holding her arm with immense pride, was Ricardo Salazar.
Whispers erupted like wildfire through the crowd. "Is that... Valeria Rivas? No, look who she’s with!" "That’s Ricardo Salazar! The reclusive billionaire! What is he doing with her?" "Look at her necklace! That’s the Heart of Jalisco diamond!"
Santiago’s glass dropped from his hand, shattering loudly against the floor. His face drained of all color, turning a ghostly, sickly white. "Valeria...?"
Valeria walked directly down the center aisle of the ballroom, the crowd parting for her like the Red Sea. She stopped exactly five feet from Santiago and Beatriz.
"Good evening, Beatriz," Valeria said, her voice clear, amplified by the sudden silence of the room. "I made sure not to leave any 'visible marks' for your gala. Are you proud of me?"
Beatriz stumbled backward, her hand flying to her mouth. "You... how dare you show your face here!"
Santiago tried to step forward, his old instinct to dominate taking over. "Valeria, stop this nonsense right now! Come home with me before I—"
"Before you what, Mr. Rivas?" Ricardo Salazar stepped into the light, his voice booming across the ballroom. He looked around at the gathered elite of society. "Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to introduce you to my daughter, Valeria Salazar. And the man standing before you is not a entrepreneur. He is a criminal who assaulted my pregnant daughter in their home last night."
The ballroom erupted into chaotic gasps. Reporters immediately began snapping photos furiously.
"That's a lie!" Santiago screamed, his composure completely shattering. "She's a fraud! She's trying to ruin me!"
"Is it a lie?" Valeria pulled a small remote from her clutch purse and pressed a button.
The massive projector screens on both sides of the ballroom, which were supposed to show a promotional video for the Rivas Foundation, suddenly flickered.
Instead of a charity video, the footage from the silver clock began to play. The entire high society of Mexico watched in horror as a giant, crystal-clear projection of Santiago Rivas appeared on screen, shaking his fist, shouting, “You’re nothing without me!” while Valeria cowered on the floor, protecting her baby. They heard Beatriz’s chilling voice clearly echo through the speakers: “Tomorrow is the foundation’s gala. Don't leave any visible marks.”
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The horror in the room was palpable. Prominent socialites covered their mouths in disgust. The Alvarez family, who were about to bail Santiago out, immediately turned their backs and walked out of the room.
"It’s over, Santiago," Valeria said softly, looking at the pathetic, trembling man before her. "You wanted the world to see you. Now they do."
