“They are about to take more,” Matthew said coldly. “Patricia has already filed a missing persons report, claiming you stole proprietary company data before fleeing. Becerra has put a bounty on you. They are desperate because the final transfer of your father’s estate requires your physical signature. Without it, the docks revert to the state in two weeks.”
Elena looked up, a spark of defiance cutting through her grief. “I will never sign it. Never.”
“Good,” Matthew said, a ghost of a smirk playing on his lips. “But staying hidden isn’t enough. I don’t want to just stop them, Elena. I want to destroy them. And for that, I need your cooperation.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“I want you to marry me.”
The Carranza Alliance
The silence that followed was absolute. Elena stared at him, wondering if she had misheard. “What?”
“A marriage of convenience,” Matthew stated, as calmly as if he were discussing a supply chain report. “As my wife, you gain immediate, ironclad legal protection. My lawyers will freeze all of your father’s assets under a marital trust, completely blocking Patricia and Becerra from accessing the docks. Furthermore, any move they make against you becomes an declaration of war against the Carranza empire.”
“And what do you get out of this?” Elena asked, her pulse hammering against her ribs.
“Access,” Matthew replied, his eyes darkening. “As your husband, I become the co-owner of the Vargas shipping lines. I can legally audit the books, expose Becerra’s smuggling routes, and hand him over to the federal authorities on a silver platter—right before I strip him of every dime he owns. I get justice for my brother. You get your freedom, your father’s company back, and the head of the woman who abused you.”
