Chapter 8 - Masks Fall Off"A joke?" Valentina asked, her voice dropping into a low, echoing frequency that made everyone shudder.
"Ruin your lives? I didn't ruin your lives, Patricia. Your greed, your arrogance, and your incompetence did that. I simply stopped protecting you from your own debts."
She looked around at the thirty classmates who had once cheered, mocked, and excluded her.
"None of you cared when my mother cried because she couldn't afford my school trips," Valentina said quietly. "None of you cared when I spent four years hiding in bathroom stalls during lunch so I wouldn't be humiliated. You thought power was a birthright. I learned that power is earned."
Rodrigo fell to his knees on the grass, looking up at Valentina with pleading eyes. "Valentina... please. Work with us. We can pay you back! Give us time!"
"Time is expensive, Rodrigo," Mateo chimed in, shutting his leather briefcase with a crisp snap. "And Miss Ruiz’s time is worth far more than your entire company."
Valentina turned her back on them, walking toward the terrace where the catering staff stood—a group of young, working-class men and women who were staring at the scene in disbelief.
Valentina pulled an envelope from her purse and handed it to the head waiter.
May you like
"This is a tip for the staff," she said gently, her tone completely changing to one of deep warmth and respect. "Thank you for your hard work today."
The head waiter opened the envelope to see a check for fifty thousand euros—enough to change every waiter's life in that room. Tears sprang to his eyes as he bowed deeply. "Thank you, Miss Ruiz! Thank you!"
