Chapter 22 Betrayal in the Empire
One of the other boys agreed, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth: “Marlon's right. Why the hell did those jerks mess with the heirs of the Three Great Families? They just signed their own death warrants.”
Marlon let go of Dandara, his eyes darkening. He looked sternly at the group. “No one says a word about what happened here today. Understood?”
As the second young master of the Fuller family, being robbed by street thugs was already shameful.
But being saved by Katherine—the girl he despised and called insignificant—was a humiliation he couldn't bear to see spread around. If the news leaked out, he would be the laughing stock of high society.
Silence reigned for a moment, until one of the girls exploded, stamping her foot on the floor: "That Katherine crossed all boundaries! We're classmates, for God's sake! She just stood there watching! If she had acted sooner, my limited edition bag wouldn't have been stolen!
“Exactly!” agreed another, venom in her voice. “She's heartless. Cold as a robot. Sooner or later, karma will catch up with her.”
Nísia, who had been quiet until then, sighed softly, assuming her posture of a misunderstood saint. “Girls, don't blame her so much...” she said, in a soft and sad tone of voice. “She's always been like that, kind of... disconnected from human emotions. It's just her way, I don't think it's pure evil.”
“Nísia, stop being so nice!” her friend retorted. “Why do you still defend this girl? We have eyes! No excuse will cover up the fact that she's horrible.”
“I don't know...” Gabriel Park muttered, interrupting the flow of hatred.
He rubbed his sore jaw, a strange gleam in his eyes. “We can't be unfair. She's not our friend, we're always talking trash about her. She had no obligation, but she still took down that giant.
Gabriel looked at the empty alley, fascinated. ”Did you guys see that? Does she box or something? How can a girl that size be so strong? I thought it was... impressive.
“Shut up, Gabriel,” Marlon growled, giving him a cold stare that promised violence. “I don't want to hear another word about her.”
Gabriel shrugged and fell silent, but the seed of curiosity had already been planted. With their makeup smeared from crying and their mood ruined, the girls gave up on lunch. The group dispersed, each returning to their luxury homes, carrying the shame of having been saved by the person they despised the most.
Meanwhile, at the Mendes Group headquarters, the cold air conditioning couldn't dissipate the heat of tension that filled the conference room.
The board meeting, which had started at 10:30 a.m., had been dragging on for hours. On the huge projection screen, instead of financial charts, a bombshell entertainment news story flashed in bold letters: “Betrayal in the Empire: John Valadares Deceived for Decades?”
The atmosphere was suffocating.
Blocking the only exit from the room was Jessica. With her short, spiky hair, heavy combat boots, and leather jacket, she was the antithesis of the expensive suits around her. Slumped in an executive chair she had dragged to the door, she crossed her legs and arms, emanating a wicked and violent aura. Her eyes scanned the room like a bored predator.
Around the oval table, the directors of the Mendes Group maintained serious expressions, exchanging furtive glances. No one dared to speak.
At the center of the storm was Luana Mendes, accompanied by her husband.
Luana was on the verge of a breakdown. Her impeccable makeup couldn't hide the red marks of rage on her neck.
She slammed her hands on the table, the sound echoing through the silence.
“Have you all gone mad?” she shouted, her voice shrill. “Today was supposed to be our victory! The contract with the Lutz family would have saved the group! Losing this deal is a loss for your pockets too!”
One of the directors, a middle-aged man with thick-rimmed glasses, adjusted his tie and spoke calmly but firmly: “Miss Luana, let's be practical. We want to see the President's official will. Only documents signed by the true blood heir will be legally valid.”
Luana's face turned pale. She let out a nervous, incredulous laugh. “What nonsense is this? I am my father's daughter! What's wrong with him leaving the company to me? How dare you question my legitimacy?”
Someone at the back of the room laughed, a dry, mocking sound. “If you're so legitimate, why was your mother recorded saying those things to her lover? The video is all over the internet.”
Luana felt the blood rush to her head. “That's gossip!” she yelled, trembling. “Slander invented by jealous people! Anyone who believes that is stupid! I don't have time to waste on this circus.”
She grabbed her husband's hand. “Let's go.”
But when they turned toward the door, they found their path blocked.
Jessica slowly uncrossed her legs, resting the sole of her boot on the chair with a dull thud. A lazy, cruel smile curved her lips. “No one leaves here until this issue is resolved.”
Luana's husband, trying to appear brave, took a step forward, though his voice trembled: “Resolved? The media has no shame, and neither do you, Jessica! Luana is your sister, dare you deny that in front of everyone?
Jessica let out a short laugh, throwing her head back. ”Sister?" She stood up.
Suddenly, the room seemed to shrink. Jessica was much taller than Luana and had an intimidating physical presence. She walked up to her “sister,” looking her up and down with clinical contempt.
“What do you want, Jessica?” Luana hissed, taking a step back.
“Even if the gossip were true, Dad said the company would be mine! You're jealous because he never loved you, because you're selfish and only think about yourself! You're setting me up behind my back!”
“Jealous?” Jessica tilted her head, analyzing Luana's face as if it were a laboratory specimen. “Let's look at the facts, Luana.”
She pointed a gloved finger at the other's face. “Single eyelids... upturned nose... prominent ears... Tsk, tsk. Neither your mother nor ‘our’ father has these features.”
Jessica smiled, a smile that didn't reach her eyes. “Tell me, dear ‘sister’... is this a rare genetic mutation, or did your mother's lover look exactly like this?”