Chapter 12 - CITY HALL
Shiomara had never spoken into a microphone in her life.
Now she stood before city council members, reporters, cameras, neighborhood residents, developers, and thousands watching online.
Her prepared speech shook in her hands.
Daniel sat behind her.
Maya whispered, “Just talk like you talk at the cart.”
“That’s dangerous.”
Maya smiled.
“Exactly.”
Shiomara stepped forward.
“My name is Shiomara Reyes.”
Her voice echoed.
“I’ve lived in this city for thirty-one years.”
She looked down at the prepared pages.
Then set them aside.
“I was supposed to tell you about zoning.”
People looked up.
“I don’t know much about zoning.”
Laughter.
“I know rice.”
More laughter.
“I know beans. I know rent. I know what it feels like when your landlord raises the price and you start doing math with groceries.”
The room quieted.
“I know what it feels like to work all day and still be afraid one bad week could wipe you out.”
She looked toward the cameras.
“Twenty-eight years ago, I met three hungry children.”
Daniel lowered his head.
“I had one meal.”
Shiomara paused.
“So I gave it to them.”
She looked across the room.
“People keep calling that heroic.”
Her voice sharpened.
“It wasn’t.”
Silence.
“It should be normal.”
Maya began crying.
“A child is hungry? Feed them. A neighbor is drowning? Help them. A family is about to lose the business they spent thirty years building? Don’t ask whether helping them makes you famous.”
She pointed toward the developers’ section.
“Ask what kind of city you want to live in.”
Applause erupted.
The council chairman banged his gavel.
Shiomara continued.
“You can build glass towers.”
She nodded.
“Build them.”
“You can make money.”
“Make it.”
“But if your profit depends on making people invisible, then maybe your building isn’t progress.”
The room exploded.
By lunchtime, clips of her speech had millions of views.
Investors pulled away from Kane’s project.
Community organizations joined the Bennett siblings’ bid.
The property owner called Daniel.
He accepted their offer.
Fifty million dollars.
The block was saved.
People celebrated in the street.
Shiomara hugged Mrs. Delgado.
Marcus opened champagne.
Maya cried again.
Daniel stood beside Shiomara’s cart.
“We did it.”
Shiomara smiled.
“You did.”
“We.”
Then Daniel’s attorney approached.
His face wasn’t happy.
“What?”
He handed Daniel a document.
“There’s another owner.”
Daniel frowned.
“What do you mean?”
“Seven percent of the property rights were transferred decades ago into a private trust.”
“To who?”
The attorney pointed to the beneficiary.
Daniel stared.
Shiomara leaned over.
Her own name was printed on the page.
SHIOMARA REYES.
May you like
She looked up.
“I own what?”
