Chapter 5 - The Desperate Strike
The Gran Hotel Alvarado was transformed into a paradise of white lilies and silver drapes for the annual Alvarado Foundation Charity Gala. The city’s elite, the press, and international investors were all in attendance.
Mariana stood at the top of the grand staircase, greeting guests. She wore a breathtaking silver gown that caught the flash of the paparazzi cameras. She looked like a goddess of victory. By her side was Elias Thorne, a handsome, brilliant architect from New York who had recently partnered with the Alvarado Group to expand their hotels internationally. Elias looked at Mariana with genuine respect and admiration—a stark contrast to the patronizing gaze Arturo had always used.
"You're going to break the internet tonight, Mariana," Elias murmured, handing her a glass of champagne. "The investors are practically begging to give you their money."
"Let them beg a little longer," Mariana smiled, clinking her glass against his. "It builds character."
Outside, hidden in the shadows of the valet parking lot, Arturo watched the glamorous scene unfold through the glass doors. His suit was ill-fitting, bought off the rack, and he reeked of cheap whiskey.
Salazar, the sleazy private investigator, had delivered. He had handed Arturo a flash drive containing what he claimed were falsified safety inspection reports from the hotel's early days under Don Efraín. It was a flimsy claim, but in Arturo's desperate, paranoid mind, it was enough. If he could hijack the gala’s audiovisual system and project these documents to the press, he could ruin Mariana’s reputation and force a settlement.
"You took my life," Arturo muttered to himself, gripping the flash drive. "Now I take yours."
He slipped through the kitchen entrance, using his old knowledge of the hotel’s layout to avoid the security cameras. He moved through the bustling kitchen, stealing a waiter's jacket from a hook to blend in.
His destination was the AV control room on the mezzanine overlooking the ballroom. He could hear Mariana’s voice echoing over the microphone below, beginning her keynote speech.
Just wait, Arturo thought, a manic grin spreading across his face. Just wait until they see the truth.
He kicked open the door to the AV room, ready to shove the technician aside.
But the room was completely empty.
Before Arturo could process what was happening, the door clicked shut behind him, and the deadbolt locked with a heavy, metallic thud.
"What?" Arturo gasped, rattling the handle. "Hey! Open the door!"
Suddenly, the control monitors in the room flickered to life. Instead of showing the ballroom, they all displayed a single image: Mariana’s calm, unyielding face. It was a live video feed from a secure room.
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"Hello, Arturo," Mariana’s voice came through the small speakers in the ceiling. "Did you really think I wouldn't change the security codes?"
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