Part 1: The Blood on the Veil

Javier stepped in front of his mother, trying to use his legal training as a shield.

— Mr. Vance, I am an attorney. You cannot break into our room and threaten us. Sofia is my wife now. What happens between us—

Alexander moved faster than anyone expected for a man his age.

He grabbed Javier by the front of his custom tuxedo, lifting him off his feet, and slammed him against the glass window overlooking the Dallas skyline.

The glass groaned under the impact.

— She was your wife for four hours, Javier, Alexander hissed, his face inches from the young man's terrified eyes. And in those four hours, you let your mother treat her like an animal.

— It was a lesson! Carmen shrieked from behind them, her voice cracking with sudden panic. She refused to respect our family traditions! She wouldn't sign the condo!

Alexander laughed, a sound completely devoid of mirth.

— Your family tradition is greed, Carmen. But your family is over.

He let go of Javier, who collapsed onto the floor, gasping for air and clutching his throat.

Alexander turned back to the room, pulling out his tablet.

— At 4:02 a.m., Robles Development lost its primary investor, Alexander stated smoothly.

Carmen blinked, her hand flying to her throat.

— What?

— At 4:10 a.m., the Texas State Bar received an anonymous file containing three years of Javier’s fraudulent billing records and bribery notes. Your license to practice law is gone, boy.

Javier looked up from the floor, his eyes wide with horror.

— No... no, that's impossible.

— And at 4:20 a.m., Alexander continued, staring directly at Carmen, I bought the mortgage on your family estate. The foreclosure notice is already being printed. You have until noon to pack your trash and leave.

The six women who had participated in the beating began to panic, slipping toward the door.

Marcus and the security team blocked their exit, their expressions blank.

— Where do you think you’re going? Alexander asked without looking at them. You handled my daughter. Now you handle the consequences.

He nodded to Marcus.

The police, led by the precinct captain who answered directly to Alexander’s inner circle, stepped out from the hallway.

They carried zip-ties and arrest warrants for felony assault and extortion.

— Take them, Alexander ordered. No bail. No phone calls. Let them sit in the dark.

As Carmen was dragged out, screaming curses, her expensive perfume fading into the smell of fear, Javier remained on the floor, weeping into his hands.

Alexander knelt down, grabbing Javier’s chin, forcing him to look at the wreckage of his life.