Javier stared at it, stunned.
Sofía would never.
But someone wanted the room to believe she would.
Javier’s hands curled into fists.
There was only one person in the company petty and desperate enough to do something like this.
And only one person who had watched Sofía walk down those stairs and realized she was never going to win by standing beside Javier.
She had to destroy Sofía instead.
Javier marched to HR.
Camila wasn’t at her desk.
Her badge was already deactivated.
But the damage had been done.
By noon, the rumor had reached board members.
By 2 p.m., it had reached Riveros.
And at 4 p.m., Javier sat in a conference room with the CEO, the compliance director, legal counsel, and three executives who looked like they’d love nothing more than to watch someone fall.
Riveros entered last.
He didn’t sit immediately.
He looked at Javier for a long moment, then spoke with quiet authority.
“I invited Mrs. Mendoza because her work is real,” Riveros said. “So I’ll ask once: is any of this true?”
Javier’s throat was dry.
“No,” he said. “None of it.”
Legal slid a folder forward.
“These emails were sent from a blocked account,” she said. “The screenshots don’t match our system headers. We believe they were altered.”
The compliance director leaned in.
“Even if they’re fake,” he said, “this situation puts the company at risk. Public perception—”
Javier cut him off, voice sharp.
“Public perception is why I became a coward in the first place,” he said. Then he stopped, realizing what he’d admitted.
The room went still.
Riveros’s eyes narrowed, not angry—curious.
Javier inhaled slowly.
“I’m going to tell you the truth,” he said. “Not the polished version.”
