Chapter 19 - The Queen's JusticeDiego retrieved a thick, leather-bound blue folder from the mahogany desk and handed it to Marisol, watching his wife with absolute awe.
Marisol dropped the folder directly onto Arturo’s lap. It landed with a heavy, intimidating thud.
"Open it," Marisol commanded.
Arturo’s hands shook slightly as he opened the cover. His eyes scanned the first page, and the color instantly drained from his face.
"When Diego and I got married, I knew this day would come," Marisol said, her voice echoing with untouchable authority. "I knew that the moment my face was plastered on magazines, the rats from my past would crawl out of the sewers looking for a handout. So, I used my husband’s lawyers to do some digging."
Arturo flipped to the second page. It was a photograph of an illegal gambling den.
"You owe three million pesos to the Sinaloa cartel, Arturo," Marisol stated smoothly. "They are actively hunting for you. Page three."
Arturo frantically flipped the page. It was a deed.
"That is the deed to the entire slum block you currently reside in," Marisol continued. "I bought it two years ago. I am your landlord. Which means I can evict you in thirty seconds. And page four..."
Arturo looked at the final document. It was a sworn affidavit from a federal prosecutor.
"Evidence of your involvement in smuggling stolen auto parts," Marisol whispered, leaning down so she was at eye level with the terrified man. "If I make one phone call, you won't just go to federal prison. You will be placed in a cell block controlled by the very cartel men you owe money to. You will not survive the week."
Arturo began to tremble violently. The phone slipped from his hand, clattering onto the floor. The blustering, greedy blackmailer had been completely structurally dismantled in less than sixty seconds.
"Marisol... please," Arturo choked out, tears of genuine terror filling his eyes. "Mija, I am your father."
"My father is dead," Marisol said, her voice devoid of any emotion. "The man standing behind me is the only family I recognize. The child in my arms and the child in my womb are my blood. You are nothing but a ghost."
She picked up his cheap smartphone from the rug, dropped it under the heel of her designer shoe, and crushed it into pieces.
"There is a black SUV waiting at the back gate," Marisol ordered. "It will take you to the bus station. You will leave this city tonight. If you ever contact the press, if you ever look in the direction of my husband or my children again, I will ruin you. Get out of my house."
Arturo didn't say another word. He practically scrambled out of the chair, tripping over his own feet as he fled toward the door, escorted immediately by Chief Silva.
The library doors clicked shut.
Silence fell over the room.
Marisol let out a long, shaky breath. Her hands finally began to tremble as the adrenaline left her system. The nightmare of her past was finally, permanently extinguished.
Suddenly, strong arms wrapped tightly around her. Diego pulled her flush against his chest, burying his face in her dark hair. He was practically vibrating with absolute pride.
"Remind me never to negotiate a contract against you," Diego murmured, kissing her forehead reverently. "You are absolutely terrifying, Mrs. Villaseñor."
Marisol laughed softly, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I learned from the best."
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Diego looked deep into her dark eyes, his heart swelling with a love so profound it physically ached. She wasn't just his wife. She was his equal. She was the queen of his empire.
"Let's go back to the party," Diego whispered, wiping a single, stray tear from her cheek. "The world is waiting for you."
