Chapter 3: The Name on the Security Log
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
The tablet remained in Daniel's hands.
Camila Serrano.
The name was displayed in black letters beneath the access record.
*02:13:44 — CONFIDENTIAL DOCUMENT DOWNLOAD.*
*USER: CAMILA SERRANO.*
*ACCESS LOCATION: DE LA VEGA PROJECT OFFICE.*
Alejandro stood so quickly that his chair scraped across the marble floor.
“That's impossible.””
Daniel looked at him.
“Are you familiar with the employee identification?””
“No. Camila doesn't work for Grupo Vanguardia.””
“She was registered as an external consultant under the De la Vega financing preparation team,” Daniel explained.
“Her credentials were granted temporary access to selected supporting documents.””
Alejandro shook his head.
“She wouldn't do that.””
I watched him.
“You sound certain.””
He turned toward me.
“She doesn't have access to anything confidential.””
Daniel tapped the screen.
“She accessed the document using her assigned credentials. The download was completed successfully.””
“Then someone used her account,” Alejandro insisted.
My father remained calm.
“Mr. De la Vega, we are not interested in assumptions. We are interested in evidence.””
Beatriz stood beside the sofa, her hands clasped tightly.
“This is some kind of mistake.””
Daniel shook his head.
“We have verified the access record twice.””
I took the tablet.
“Can you show me the file history?””
Daniel opened another screen.
A list of document versions appeared.
The original financial proposal had been submitted three weeks earlier.
The revised capital allocation had been uploaded two days ago.
The confidential page contained several internal risk observations, including an unannounced valuation adjustment and the committee's preliminary assessment of Desarrollos De la Vega's financial exposure.
I frowned.
“Why would Camila want this page?””
Daniel hesitated.
“We believe someone may have been trying to obtain the committee's internal position before the formal decision.””
Alejandro rubbed his jaw.
“Camila handles administrative coordination. She probably downloaded it by accident.””
I looked at him.
“At 2:13 in the morning?””
“She works late.””
“Convenient.””
“Isabel, please. Don't turn this into something personal.””
I handed the tablet back.
“You brought my personal life into this house. I didn't.””
My father walked toward the window.
“Daniel, freeze all external access to the De la Vega file. Preserve the logs and contact the security department.””
“Already done, sir.””
“Notify our legal counsel. Nobody contacts Camila until the preliminary evidence has been secured.””
Daniel nodded.
Then he looked at me.
“Ms. Mendoza, there's something else.””
I turned.
“What?””
“The downloaded page wasn't simply opened. A second copy was transmitted to an external email address.””
Alejandro went still.
“What address?””
Daniel read it from the tablet.
“It belongs to a private consulting account registered under Serrano Advisory.””
Beatriz slowly sat down.
Alejandro's face darkened.
“That's her brother's company.””
“Yes,” Daniel replied.
My father turned from the window.
“Now we have a potential disclosure of confidential financial information.””
Alejandro looked genuinely shaken.
“Camila wouldn't betray me.””
I stared at him.
“Why are you defending her?””
He looked at me.
“Because she's not a criminal.””
“Neither was I when you accused me of being a liar.””
His expression tightened.
“That's different.””
“How?””
He didn't answer.
I stepped closer.
“You spent months telling me that I was imagining things. You told me I was jealous. You told me the bracelet was a client gift. Now the evidence is sitting in front of you, and you still prefer to believe whatever makes your life easier.””
Alejandro lowered his voice.
“I never wanted to hurt you.””
I shook my head.
“You didn't have to want it. You did it anyway.””
An hour later, Beatriz and Alejandro were still in the mansion.
My father had moved the discussion into his private conference room.
I sat at the end of the table with Daniel beside me.
The blue financing folder lay open between us.
Beatriz had stopped pretending to be friendly.
She kept checking her phone.
Alejandro had called Camila four times.
She hadn't answered.
“Perhaps we should contact her brother,” Beatriz suggested.
Daniel looked up.
“That would be inadvisable.””
“Why?””
“Because the security investigation is ongoing. Contacting individuals connected to the suspected transfer could compromise the evidence.””
Beatriz frowned.
“We are not criminals.””
My father looked at her.
“Then you should have no reason to interfere with an investigation.””
She closed her mouth.
Alejandro stood.
“I need to go to the office.””
My father didn't object.
“Your company is free to conduct its normal business. However, nobody should attempt to access our systems.””
“I understand.””
Alejandro turned toward me.
“Isabel, come with me.””
I looked up.
“Why?””
“Because I want to talk to you.””
“About Camila?””
“About us.””
I shook my head.
“We've already had that conversation.””
“Not properly.””
I closed the folder.
“Then say what you need to say here.””
He glanced at my father.
Arturo stood.
“I'll give you five minutes.””
He left the room with Daniel.
Alejandro remained standing.
For a moment, he looked like the man I had married.
The same dark eyes.
The same familiar crease between his eyebrows.
The same expensive cologne.
I remembered him bringing me coffee when I worked late.
I remembered our first apartment, where the heating barely worked.
I remembered laughing with him on the kitchen floor because we couldn't afford a proper dining table.
Those memories were real.
That was what made everything so painful.
But so were the lies.
“Isabel,” he began, “I know you think I'm only here because of your father.””
“Are you?””
“No.””
“Then why?””
He pulled out a chair and sat opposite me.
“Because seeing you with him made me realize I never really knew your life.””
I looked at him.
“You never asked.””
“I thought you wanted privacy.””
“I wanted a husband who was interested in me.””
He rubbed his palms together.
“I was wrong.””
I waited.
He continued.
“Camila came into the company during a difficult period. My father had died, the board was questioning my decisions, and the expansion project was struggling. She helped me manage things.””
“And the bracelet?””
He looked down.
“I bought it.””
“With company money?””
“No.””
I raised an eyebrow.
He sighed.
“Some of the money came from a consulting payment.””
“Whose consulting payment?””
He hesitated.
“Camila's brother.””
I felt a cold wave move through my chest.
“So you paid her brother, and he gave you money to buy her a bracelet?””
“It's not as simple as that.””
“Then explain it.””
He looked toward the door.
“Camila introduced me to several investors. Her brother's company provided market research. The bracelet was a personal gift.””
“Did you tell me?””
“No.””
“Did you tell me you were having an affair?””
His jaw tightened.
“No.””
“Did you intend to?””
He looked away.
I nodded.
“Thank you for finally answering one question honestly.””
He leaned forward.
“Isabel, I know I destroyed our marriage. But I can fix things.””
“You can't undo what happened.””
“I can prove myself.””
“How?””
He looked directly into my eyes.
“I'll end things with Camila.””
I almost smiled.
“She's already ended things with you, apparently. She's not answering your calls.””
He flinched.
“That's not funny.””
“Neither was our marriage.””
He stood.
“Please don't make this harder than it needs to be.””
I stared at him.
“I'm not making anything difficult. I'm simply refusing to make your life comfortable at my expense.””
He looked toward the window.
Then, very quietly, he said:
“My mother thinks we should announce that we're considering reconciliation.””
I blinked.
“Excuse me?””
“She believes it would help calm things down.””
“Calm what down?””
“The situation with the company.””
I stood.
“You want to use our marriage as a public relations strategy?””
“No. I mean, if people believe we are on good terms, it could prevent unnecessary speculation.””
I stared at him in disbelief.
“Your company is facing a financial investigation, and you want to announce that your ex-wife is getting back together with you?””
He reached for my hand.
I pulled it away.
“Isabel, think about what this could mean for both families.””
There it was again.
Both families.
A phrase that had always meant I should sacrifice something for his comfort.
“Get out, Alejandro.””
He didn't move.
“Isabel—”
“Get out.””
This time, he left.
But before the door closed, he turned around.
“You'll regret treating me like this.””
I looked at him.
“No. I regret not doing it sooner.””
At noon, Daniel returned with an update.
He entered my father's study carrying a thin folder.
“Ms. Mendoza, we have preliminary confirmation from the security team.””
I put down my coffee.
“What did they find?””
“The document was accessed from Camila's assigned workstation. The external transfer was completed through an encrypted connection.””
“Can they identify the recipient?””
“Not yet. However, we recovered part of the destination metadata.””
He placed a printout on the desk.
I read the visible address.
It wasn't an ordinary email account.
It belonged to a private domain registered to a financial advisory firm in London.
“Who owns this?””
Daniel answered carefully.
“Northbridge Capital Advisory.””
I looked at my father.
His expression changed.
“Are they connected to the De la Vega proposal?””
Daniel nodded.
“Northbridge submitted an independent valuation report to Desarrollos De la Vega approximately four months ago.””
I frowned.
“Why would they want our internal risk assessment?””
My father folded his arms.
“That is precisely what we need to establish.””
I turned another page.
A list of recent communications appeared.
There were three emails between Camila's consulting account and Northbridge.
One had been sent six days earlier.
Another had been sent two days earlier.
The final one was timestamped at 2:19 a.m., six minutes after the confidential download.
The subject line was short.
*REVISED FIGURES — AS REQUESTED.*
I read it twice.
“Daniel, has the file been opened by anyone outside the company?””
“We cannot confirm that yet.””
My father approached the desk.
“Send the information to our legal department. We will not make accusations until the full audit is complete.””
I nodded.
Then I noticed a small detail on the last page.
A reference number.
The number was familiar.
I had seen it in Alejandro's financing folder.
It belonged to a land acquisition agreement.
I opened the blue folder again.
There it was.
The same reference number appeared beside the valuation of the waterfront property.
I turned to Daniel.
“Did Northbridge provide this valuation?””
“Yes.””
“Who approved it for inclusion in the financing proposal?””
Daniel checked his notes.
“Mr. Alejandro De la Vega.””
I looked at my father.
“Then we need to examine the valuation itself.””
My father nodded.
“Agreed.””
At 2:40 p.m., my phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered.
“Hello?””
A woman's voice came through.
“Isabel?””
I recognized her immediately.
Camila.
I sat straighter.
“Yes.””
“It's Camila. I need to talk to you.””
I glanced at Daniel.
“About what?””
“About the file.””
I remained silent.
She spoke faster.
“I didn't steal anything. Alejandro told me to download it.””
My fingers tightened around the phone.
“What?””
“He said the page was part of the regular financing package. He told me to send it to Northbridge.””
I looked at Daniel.
He immediately began writing.
“Are you saying Alejandro instructed you to access a confidential document?””
“He said it was already approved.””
“Do you have proof?””
There was a pause.
Then Camila whispered:
“I have messages.””
I closed my eyes briefly.
“Why are you calling me?””
“Because Alejandro is telling everyone I acted alone.””
My stomach tightened.
“What did he tell you?””
“He said if the investigation reached his office, he would deny knowing anything about the download.””
I stood.
“Camila, listen carefully. Do not delete anything. Do not alter your messages. Contact your own lawyer.””
She began crying.
“I don't want to go to prison.””
I looked through the glass wall of my father's study.
Daniel was already signaling to our security team.
“Then tell the truth.””
She took a shaky breath.
“There is something else.””
“What?””
“The bracelet.””
I said nothing.
She continued.
“Alejandro told me it was a gift. But I know where the money came from.””
My heart began beating faster.
“Where?””
“He didn't buy it with his own money. He told me the payment came from a company account connected to your father.””
I gripped the edge of the desk.
“What company account?””
“I don't know the details. But he said it was part of a private arrangement. He told me nobody would ever trace it back to him.””
I looked at Daniel.
His face had gone pale.
“Camila, I need you to be specific.””
She started crying harder.
“He said your father would never discover it because the account was connected to a company that had already been approved for financing.””
I felt the room tilt.
The bracelet wasn't merely a gift purchased with suspicious consulting money.
It might have been bought with funds diverted from a company connected to Grupo Vanguardia.
“Camila,” I said carefully, “who told Alejandro about that account?””
She hesitated.
Then she whispered a name.
And it wasn't her brother's.
It wasn't Alejandro's.
It was someone inside Grupo Vanguardia.
Someone who had access to our confidential investment records.
Before I could ask another question, the call disconnected.
I immediately looked at Daniel.
“Trace that call.””
He nodded.
My father entered the room moments later.
“What happened?””
I handed him my phone.
“Camila says Alejandro instructed her to download the confidential page.””
His expression hardened.
“And the bracelet?””
“She claims it was purchased with money connected to one of our company accounts.””
My father was silent for several seconds.
Then he asked:
“Did she identify who gave Alejandro access to the account information?””
I nodded slowly.
“Yes.””
“Who?””
I looked at Daniel.
He was holding a second tablet.
A new notification had appeared on the screen.
Our security team had just recovered an additional access record.
It showed that someone had entered the confidential financing archive at 1:56 a.m.
Seventeen minutes before Camila downloaded the document.
The user had not been registered as an external consultant.
It was an internal executive account.
May you like
And the name on the screen belonged to the one person my father trusted to oversee the entire investigation.
*DANIEL REYES.*
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