Chapter 9: Truth in the Dark
Inside Diego's quiet study, Marisol sat holding a warm cup of chamomile tea, her hands still trembling. Valentina had been taken upstairs by the nanny to play, leaving the two of them alone.
Diego sat on the edge of the desk right in front of her, taking her cold hands into his own. "Tell me, Marisol. Whatever it is, I don't care. Nothing can change how I feel about you."
Marisol took a deep, shaky breath, staring down at the amber liquid in her cup. "Eight years ago, after my father died, my stepmother and her son, Ernesto, took over our small bakery in Michoacán. Ernesto was involved with local gangs. He used the bakery to store illegal goods."
Diego’s eyes narrowed, but he stayed silent, listening intently.
"One night," Marisol continued, a tear slipping down her cheek, "the police raided the shop. Ernesto ran away and left me there. I was twenty-three years old, Diego. I was arrested. I spent three weeks in a holding cell before the prosecutor realized I had nothing to do with his crimes and dropped all charges. But the record... the arrest record still exists."
She looked up at him, her heart breaking. "Paulina’s father found it, didn't he? He sent Ernesto here. They are going to use my arrest record at the gala to prove that I am a criminal, a thief, a disgraced woman who tricking you."
Diego was silent for a long moment. He leaned forward and gently wiped her tears away with his thumb.
"Is that all?" he asked softly.
Marisol blinked, stunned. "Is that all? Diego, if the media finds out I was arrested—"
"You were an innocent victim of a criminal stepbrother, cleared of all charges by a court of law," Diego stated firmly. "You did nothing wrong. You survived."
He stood up, walking over to his desk, and picked up his encrypted phone. "Hector Robles thinks he’s playing chess, but he forgot who built the board."
"What are you going to do?" Marisol asked nervously.
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Diego smiled, a cold, sharp smile that showed why he was the most feared businessman in the country. "Senator Robles wants to play dirty? Then let's show him what happens when you throw mud at a mountain. We aren't canceling the gala, Marisol. In fact, we are going to make sure every single camera in Mexico is pointed directly at us."
He dialed a number. "Arturo? Get me the Chief of Police of Michoacán on the line. And call our head of legal. We are filing a federal extortion lawsuit against Senator Hector Robles in thirty minutes."
