Chapter 6: The First Move
Gerardo Vidal had been a lawyer for twenty-six years.
He had handled divorces, corporate fraud, inheritance disputes, and one case involving a sitting senator that he was legally prohibited from discussing.
He was not a man who used words like *devastating* lightly.
He used it on the third morning after Camila's surgery, sitting across from Alejandro in the private conference room of Clínica Vidal.
"The documentation is devastating," Gerardo said.
He laid the papers out one by one.
"Call log.
Gate security record.
Club entry timestamps.
Witness statements from the door staff.
Photographs of Mateo and Valeria in the VIP section.
His phone's airplane mode activation at eleven-twelve." He tapped the last page.
"Any family court judge in this country will look at this and understand immediately what happened."
"What are our options?" Alejandro said.
"For Camila?
Strong ones.
She can file for divorce on grounds of abandonment and endangerment.
Given that she was eight months pregnant and the gate code situation — the argument that his inaction directly endangered both her life and the child's — that is not a minor claim.
Combined with documented evidence of an ongoing extramarital relationship, she is in an extremely favorable position."
"And the child?"
"Primary custody would almost certainly go to Camila.
Mateo would have visitation, likely supervised initially given the circumstances.
His financial obligations would be significant.
The mansion, the accounts, the assets acquired during the marriage — all subject to division." Gerardo paused.
"But Alejandro.
This is Camila's decision.
Not yours."
"I know that."
"She has to be the one to file.
She has to be the one who wants this."
"I know," Alejandro said again.
"I'm not deciding anything for her.
I'm making sure she has everything she needs to decide for herself."
Gerardo nodded slowly.
"Has she said what she wants?"
"Not yet.
She's been focused on the baby."
"Understandable." Gerardo gathered the papers back into the folder.
"Mateo has also retained counsel.
A firm in Monterrey.
Very aggressive, very expensive."
Alejandro looked up.
"Who?"
Gerardo named the firm.
Alejandro was quiet for a moment.
"He moved fast."
"He did.
Which tells us he's not planning to be cooperative." Gerardo set the folder down.
"He's going to argue that the night was a tragic accident, that he had no knowledge of the fall, that the airplane mode was coincidental.
He'll try to reframe the narrative.
Make it about a husband who made a mistake, not a man who was negligent."
"Can he make that argument stick?"
"With a weaker file, possibly.
With what we have?" Gerardo shook his head.
"No."
Alejandro stood and walked to the window.
The city spread out below, bright and indifferent.
"There's something else," Gerardo said.
Alejandro turned.
"Mateo came to see me yesterday.
Privately.
Before I had a chance to tell you."
The room was very still.
"He offered me a retainer," Gerardo said.
"Twice my standard rate.
To drop your case and represent him instead."
Alejandro looked at him steadily.
"And?"
"I told him I had a conflict of interest." Gerardo allowed himself a small, dry expression.
"He then suggested that conflicts of interest can sometimes be resolved with the right motivation."
"He tried to bribe you."
"He tried to bribe me."
Alejandro turned back to the window.
"Did you document it?"
"My assistant was in the room.
She took notes." Gerardo paused.
"I also had my phone recording."
For the first time in three days, something close to a smile crossed Alejandro's face.
"Add it to the file."
"Already done."
Alejandro picked up his jacket from the back of the chair.
"I need to go see Camila.
She's being moved to a private suite today.
The baby is off the ventilator."
"That's good news."
"Yes." He stopped at the door.
"Gerardo.
When Mateo's lawyers make contact — and they will — I want you to be very polite.
Very cooperative.
Give them nothing that isn't already public record."
"Of course."
"And make sure they know we have the bribery recording."
Gerardo's eyebrow rose slightly.
"You want them to know?"
"I want Mateo to know," Alejandro said, "that every move he makes is being documented.
I want him to feel that.
Before this goes any further."
He walked out into the corridor.
At the far end of the hall, Mateo was stepping out of the elevator.
He saw Alejandro.
He stopped.
They looked at each other across the length of the corridor.
Then Mateo's phone rang.
He glanced at the screen.
His lawyer.
He answered it and turned away, walking back toward the elevator.
Alejandro watched him go.
May you like
Then he turned and walked toward Camila's room.
Behind him, the elevator doors closed on Mateo's voice, low and urgent, saying: "Tell me exactly how bad it is."
