"If someone approached the car..." Beto continued, taking out his cell phone and opening an app, "the camera saw it and recorded it."
"No, that's illegal. You can't..." Vanessa stammered, taking a step back and tripping over her own dress.
"Unlock it," Eduardo ordered, taking the phone from Beto.
Beto put his fingerprint on it. Eduardo navigated through the app to the recordings from the last hour. He found the clip marked: Motion detected, front and side camera, 1:45 pm. Eduardo pressed play and then turned his phone screen toward the guests, quickly connecting it to the garden's sound system via Bluetooth so everyone could hear. The screen was small, but the audio was crystal clear. The crunch of gravel filled the air, and then Vanessa's unmistakable voice echoed through the quiet garden.
" I don't care if they kill each other, in fact it would be poetic. Clara always had everything... I want her stupid fairy tale to end in blood and twisted metal."
The video clearly showed Vanessa in profile, caressing the car, while the man in overalls slid underneath with the needle. The handover of the envelope containing money was visible. His malicious smile was also seen. The audio ended with his farewell.
— Enjoy the trip, cousin.
Eduardo paused the video and slowly looked up at Vanessa. His gaze was no longer one of fury, but of utter disgust, as if he were staring at a cockroach. Clara was weeping silently, not from the fear of dying, but from the pain of betrayal. The cousin she had played with as a child, the cousin she had comforted when her aunt died, the cousin who had hugged her that morning, wishing her eternal happiness.
—Vanessa— Clara whispered. —Why?
Cornered, Vanessa found herself exposed before the city's elite, before the man she desired and the cousin she hated, she broke. The mask was gone, the sweet bridesmaid was gone.
"Because I hate you!" Vanessa screamed, her voice a shriek of madness. "It was always you. Clara the perfect one, Clara the saint, Clara the one who gets the millionaire. What do you have that I don't? I'm prettier, I have more class. I deserved that fortune. You're just a lucky little schoolteacher from a small town. You should have died in that car!"
She lunged at Clara, her hands like claws. But two security guards intercepted her before she could take three steps. They grabbed her arms as she kicked and screamed insults, spewing out the venom she'd been building up for years.
"Take her away," Eduardo said, turning his back on them, "and call the police. Have them give that video to the prosecutor. I want her prosecuted for attempted premeditated murder. I never want to see her again."
As they dragged Vanessa out of the garden, her screams faded, leaving behind a stunned silence. The wedding was ruined. The illusion of the perfect family was shattered, but they were alive. Eduardo looked at Beto. The driver stood with his head down, waiting to be fired, waiting for the wrath.
—Beto —said Eduardo.
—Sir, I'll gather my things and leave. I understand. I was stupid. Almost…
“You were arrogant,” Eduardo corrected him. “And your arrogance almost got us killed, but your paranoia gave us the truth, and you had the courage to show the video knowing it would make you look bad.” Eduardo sighed. “I’m not going to fire you today, but you’re going to have to earn your position again. And you’re going to start by apologizing to the right person.” Eduardo pointed at Nico.
Beto nodded. There was no pride left, only shame. He approached the boy, knelt on the gravel, disregarding his uniform, and looked Nico in the eyes.
"Forgive me, son," Beto said, his voice trembling with sincerity. "I treated you like garbage, and you're more of a man than I am. You knew more about mechanics and more about honor. Thank you for saving us."
Nico, overwhelmed by everything, only nodded timidly. Clara dried her tears and crouched down next to Nico again. She no longer cared about her dress, or the party, or the scandal.
"Nico," she said, taking his dirty hands, "you've given us the greatest wedding gift of all. You gave us life. There's no way we can thank you enough for saving us, but we'd like to give you a reward. Whatever is in our power, we'll gladly do anything for you."
"That's right, Nico," Eduardo said. "There's no check in the world that can repay what you've done for us, but I want to try. Ask me for anything you want. Do you want a house? Do you want to travel? Do you want toys? Whatever it is, it's yours."
The guests held their breath. It was fairytale time, the poor boy who could ask for the kingdom. Nico looked at Clara, then at the damaged, leaking Rolls-Royce, and thought of his father coughing in the empty workshop.
“Ma’am,” Nico said quietly. “I don’t want handouts. My dad says you earn things by working.” He pointed at the car. “Let me fix it, please. I know which hose it is; I can change it. Just pay me for the work. I need to buy medicine for my dad. He’s very sick, and we’re hungry. We haven’t eaten anything today.”
The silence that followed was different. It wasn't one of horror or tension. It was one of pure shock. A child who could have asked for the world, was only asking for work to save his father.
"Oh, my darling," she cried. "Your dad. You do everything for your dad."
Eduardo approached, his eyes shining. He placed a hand on Nico's shoulder.
“You’re not fixing that car today, Nico,” Eduardo said firmly. “Today you’re the guest of honor.” Eduardo turned to his assistant. “Bring the other car, take Nico home, and call our private doctor. Dr. Arriaga, have him go with them, see Nico’s father right now, and stock up on groceries.” Eduardo looked at Nico and smiled. “We’re going to get your dad cured, Nico, and when he’s healthy, I want to meet him. If he taught you to listen to cars like that, then he’s the head mechanic I’ve been looking for my whole life.”
Nico felt the tears coming back, but this time they were different. They weren't tears of fear, they were tears of relief.
Eduardo's sports sedan, heading toward Nico's poor neighborhood, with the newlyweds still in their wedding attire and Nico in the back seat, looked like a spaceship landing on a forgotten planet. When they pulled into the "Golden Piston" garage, the private ambulance was already there. The paramedics, under the shouted orders of the best doctor in town, were stabilizing Ramón.
"Dad!" Nico shouted, running towards the stretcher.
Ramón opened his eyes, clouded by fever, saw his son, and saw the bride radiant like an angel and the rich man holding his son's hand.
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