Chapter 13 - The Enemy Inside Escalante
The drives were delivered to Escalante cybersecurity headquarters before dawn.
At 6:40 a.m., the first encrypted file opened.
Mariana stood behind the analysts.
Alejandro sat nearby.
Andrew remained under supervision in another room.
Brenda was speaking with federal investigators.
The analyst opened a folder.
Hundreds of transactions appeared.
Alejandro leaned forward.
Mariana scanned the names.
Then she stopped.
One name appeared repeatedly.
GABRIEL ESCALANTE.
Her uncle.
Alejandro’s younger son.
Mariana stared at the screen.
“No.”
Alejandro said nothing.
Gabriel had been with the company for thirty-two years.
He had attended Mariana’s graduation.
He had walked beside her mother’s coffin.
He had defended Mariana when other relatives questioned whether she was ready to inherit.
The analyst opened another file.
Emails.
Contracts.
Encrypted messages.
Victor Hale and Gabriel had been communicating for almost five years.
Their plan was simple.
Create weaknesses in companies financially connected to Escalante.
Force emergency investments.
Use those investments to conceal transfers.
Build enough hidden exposure to destabilize Mariana’s future leadership.
Whitmore Holdings had been one of those companies.
Andrew had not created the entire trap.
But he had willingly participated once he understood it.
Alejandro looked twenty years older.
“Call Gabriel.”
Mariana turned.
“No.”
Alejandro looked at her.
“He doesn’t know we have this.”
She looked toward the analyst.
“Keep it that way.”
At 9:00 a.m., Mariana entered the Escalante boardroom.
Gabriel was already seated.
He smiled when she entered.
“There she is.”
Mariana returned the smile.
“Uncle.”
He stood and kissed her cheek.
“I heard about Andrew.”
“I’m sure everyone has.”
Gabriel shook his head.
“What a fool.”
Mariana sat down.
“Yes.”
“A man married to you and he chose another woman?”
Gabriel laughed.
“Some men deserve bankruptcy.”
Mariana watched him carefully.
“You seem unusually cheerful.”
Gabriel’s smile faded slightly.
“I’m protecting you.”
“From what?”
“Embarrassment.”
Mariana placed a folder on the table.
Gabriel looked at it.
“What’s that?”
“Your resignation.”
Silence.
Gabriel stared at her.
Then laughed.
“Excuse me?”
Mariana pushed the folder toward him.
“Sign it.”
His smile vanished.
“Why?”
“You know why.”
Gabriel leaned back.
“I genuinely don’t.”
Mariana pressed a button.
The screen behind her illuminated.
Victor Hale appeared in a recorded video call.
Gabriel’s face changed.
Only for a second.
But Mariana saw it.
Alejandro entered from the side door.
Gabriel stood.
“Father.”
Alejandro looked at his son.
“You betrayed this family.”
Gabriel’s face hardened.
“After everything I did for it?”
“You stole from it.”
“I built half of it.”
Alejandro shook his head.
“You helped build it.”
Gabriel slammed his hand on the table.
“And she gets everything?”
He pointed at Mariana.
“There it is.”
Mariana stood.
“The truth.”
Gabriel laughed bitterly.
“You disappeared for four years playing poor wife while I ran this company.”
“And you decided that entitled you to steal it?”
“I decided I deserved what you were being handed.”
Alejandro looked devastated.
Gabriel turned toward him.
“You always chose her.”
“She earned my trust.”
“I’m your son.”
“And she behaved like my heir.”
Gabriel’s face twisted.
Then the boardroom doors opened.
Federal agents entered.
Gabriel looked at Mariana.
“You planned this.”
Mariana shook her head.
“No.”
“You did.”
“No, Uncle.”
She held his gaze.
“You planned this.”
The agents approached.
Gabriel was escorted from the room.
As he reached the door, he turned.
“This isn’t over.”
Mariana looked at him.
“Yes.”
May you like
Her voice was calm.
“It is.”
