Chapter 5 - A Plot in the Shadows
Mónica was not a woman who accepted defeat.
From her sleek office in the financial district, she stared at a private investigator's report on Patricia Ramírez. She had hired the firm the very night of the garden incident.
"Patricia Ramírez, thirty-two years old," Mónica read aloud to herself. "Grew up in a small town in Michoacán. Moved to the city ten years ago. Supports an elderly mother and a younger sister who is studying medicine. No criminal record. Clean credit history. Impeccable references."
Mónica threw the paper down in frustration. "Perfect. She’s a saint. How am I supposed to get rid of a saint?"
She leaned back, her mind spinning. If Patricia didn't have a past she could exploit, Mónica would have to create a present she couldn't escape.
She knew Javier was working from home, which made things more difficult. But she also knew Javier’s weakness: his deep, underlying fear of failing his late wife, Valeria. If Mónica could make it appear that Patricia was not only negligent but actively dishonest, Javier would have no choice but to fire her to protect his wife's legacy.
Mónica picked up her phone and dialed a contact. "Enrique? I need a favor. I need you to procure a very specific piece of jewelry for me. A replica of Valeria’s emerald necklace. The one Javier kept in his safe. And I need it by Thursday."
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Mónica's plan was simple but deadly. She would visit the mansion under the guise of an apology. She would plant the replica necklace in Patricia's personal belongings, and then "discover" that the real necklace was missing from the safe. With her legal influence, she would threaten to call the police unless Patricia resigned quietly and vanished from their lives forever.
She smiled, a cold, triumphant expression. "Let's see how much your fatherly instincts protect her when she's accused of grand theft, Javier."
