Chapter 8 - The Counter-Strike-8
Forty-eight hours after the birthday party, the legal war exploded into full view.
I met my lawyer, Elena Vance, at her downtown office overlooking the city square. Elena was a woman in her late forties, dressed in a sharp gray power suit, with eyes that saw straight through any corporate maneuver.
"They're playing dirty, Daniela, just as we expected," Elena said, sliding a thick blue folder across her glass desk. "Teresa Aranda’s legal team filed an emergency motion this morning seeking full temporary custody of Lucía."
I felt a surge of cold fury, but I kept my composure. "On what grounds?"
"Instability," Elena said with a scoff. "They’re claiming that you maliciously engineered a public scene to inflict psychological trauma on the family, and that your family's modest living situation isn't suitable for a child raised in the Aranda lifestyle. They're also requesting a court-ordered gag order to stop you from speaking to the press."
"They want to muzzle me so they can regain control of the narrative," I said.
"Exactly," Elena nodded. "And Rodrigo?"
"He’s been blowing up my phone," I replied, pulling out my device. "Leaving voice messages crying, apologizing, telling me his mother coerced him into signing the emergency custody petition."
"Don't fall for it," Elena warned sternly. "Rodrigo is caught between two fires right now. The Aranda board of directors officially suspended his executive status yesterday afternoon. His personal bank accounts—which were tied to the primary family trust—have been frozen pending the judicial audit of his parentage. He has no money, no title, and no leverage. He’s reaching out to you because you're his only lifesaver."
"I have no intention of saving him," I said quietly. "What's our next move?"
Elena leaned back in her leather chair, a cold, calculated smile playing on her lips. "We launch our counter-strike. We don't just fight their custody motion; we file for an immediate emergency freeze on all Aranda offshore accounts, citing the open federal financial crimes investigation. If we freeze their liquidity, they won't even be able to pay their legal retainers by next Friday."
"And what about Paulina Mier?" I asked. "She orchestrated the legal strategy to strip me of my rights."
"Paulina is currently bleeding from every angle," Elena said with satisfaction. "Two of Mier Enterprises' biggest corporate clients pulled their accounts yesterday morning following the release of that email thread. Her firm’s ethics board has opened an internal investigation into her conduct. She's fighting for her license."
At that moment, Elena's intercom buzzed. Her secretary’s voice came through the speaker.
"Ms. Vance, Rodrigo Aranda is in the lobby. He says he won't leave until he speaks with Ms. Salgado."
Elena looked at me, raising an eyebrow. "Do you want me to have security remove him?"
May you like
I thought about it for a second. I looked out the floor-to-ceiling window at the city streets below, feeling a sense of clarity I hadn't felt in years.
"No," I said, standing up. "Let him in. It's time Rodrigo and I had our final conversation."
