Chapter 5 - Legal and Financial Scorched Earth
By sunrise, the financial execution of the Robles family was well underway.
In a secure conference room downtown, Samuel Vance (no relation to Javier, though the irony was not lost on us) sat alongside three senior corporate attorneys from Alexander’s private security conglomerate. Stacks of financial documents covered the long glass table.
Sofia sat across from them, wrapped in a warm cashmere blanket, holding a cup of hot tea. Her swollen eye was still bruised purple, but the trembling in her hands had begun to subside under the reassuring presence of her father, who stood by the window monitoring secure data feeds on his tablet.
"The asset freezes have cleared," one of the attorneys announced, looking up from his laptop. "All joint accounts held by Javier and Carmen Robles have been locked under emergency federal court orders citing suspected money laundering and extortion."
"What about their primary real estate holdings?" Alexander asked without turning around.
"Attached," the lawyer replied crisply. "The family mansion, the vacation home in the Hamptons, and Javier's luxury apartment have all been placed under receivership. By noon, the banks will issue foreclosure notices on every single property."
Sofia looked up at her father, her voice soft with lingering disbelief. "Dad... won't this cause a massive public scandal? Javier’s father’s name is on half the civic buildings in this city."
"Let it burn," Alexander said, turning around and walking over to place a gentle hand on her shoulder. "They wanted to take your home, Sofia—the one sanctuary I built to ensure no man could ever hold financial leverage over you. They wanted to strip away your autonomy. In return, I am going to strip away their entire existence."
The door to the conference room opened, and my lawyer walked in, holding a fresh batch of printed court filings.
"We just received word from the district attorney's office," our lawyer said, adjusting his glasses. "Warrants have been issued for Carmen Robles on charges of felony assault, extortion, and conspiracy. And as for Javier..." He paused, glancing down at the paper. "His business partners have already voted to strip him of his executive title at the firm. He’s completely isolated."
I walked over to Sofia, kneeling beside her chair and taking her uninjured hand. "How are you holding up, sweetie?"
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"I feel like I'm watching a hurricane destroy a city," Sofia whispered, a faint, melancholic smile touching her lips. "Part of me is terrified. But another part... feels like I can finally breathe again."
"Good," Alexander said, his eyes hardening with quiet satisfaction. "Because the hurricane hasn't even made landfall yet."
