Chapter 3 - Shadows from the Boardroom
While Rodrigo found a fragile peace in the remote mountains, back in the sprawling metropolis, his corporate empire was beginning to fracture. Word had leaked out that Rodrigo Alarcón had abandoned his headquarters to chase folk remedies for an incurable child, leaving his multi-billion-dollar conglomerate rudderless.
Viktor Vance, Rodrigo’s chief corporate rival and a man devoid of any moral compass, saw the golden opportunity he had waited decades for.
Seated in a sleek, glass-walled boardroom on the fifty-fifth floor, Viktor addressed the board of directors. “Gentlemen, Rodrigo Alarcón has lost his mind. He has traded global logistics and real estate development for mountain witchcraft. If we do not act now, the Alarcón Group will collapse, taking our stock values down with it. We must launch a hostile takeover immediately.”
The board murmured in agreement. Greed and fear proved to be powerful motivators. Within forty-eight hours, Viktor initiated a coordinated series of aggressive financial attacks, freezing corporate accounts, orchestrating hostile media leaks, and buying up distressed shares of Alarcón Enterprises.
Back in the village, Rodrigo received an encrypted message on his satellite phone from his loyal corporate secretary, Elena.
“Sir, you have to come back immediately. Viktor Vance has seized control of the logistics division. If you don't authorize the emergency restructuring documents by Friday, the entire company will be liquidated, and your personal assets will be frozen.”
Rodrigo stared at the glowing screen. For years, his identity had been completely intertwined with his wealth, his status, and his power. If he lost the empire, he would lose everything he had spent his life building. But then he looked through the cabin window, where Dr. Mateo was gently feeding Camila a bowl of warm broth, and a soft giggle escaped the little girl’s lips.
The contrast couldn't have been sharper. On one side stood a mountain of corporate gold; on the other, a beating heart that nearly stopped forever.
Rodrigo typed a single, resolute reply to his secretary:
May you like
“Let the empire burn. My daughter is alive.”
He locked the phone in his glove compartment, walked back to the cabin, and sat on the wooden porch, ready to face whatever war Viktor Vance wanted to wage, so long as Camila was safe. But Viktor was not the type of man to fight only in the boardroom. He had already dispatched private investigators to find out where Rodrigo was hiding, and they were closing in on the mountain village.
