“No, we weren’t informed.”
His face turned pale.
Teresa noticed.
“What is it?”
He raised one finger, trying to listen.
Then the call ended.
He stared at his phone.
“Mrs. Alcantara…”
Teresa became impatient.
“Well?”
“Altavista Group canceled the inspection.”
The room seemed to change temperature.
Teresa stared at him.
“What?”
“They canceled.”
“No. Call them back.”
“I already asked—”
“Then ask again.”
The manager swallowed.
“It’s not just today’s visit.”
Teresa’s face tightened.
“What do you mean?”
“They terminated the entire evaluation.”
Javier looked up from his phone.
Mariana stopped smiling.
Teresa walked closer.
“Why?”
The manager looked from Teresa to Javier, then toward Mariana.
He clearly wished someone else could deliver the answer.
Finally, he said it.
“Because the woman you left walking in the rain is Elena Mendoza’s only daughter.”
Silence.
Javier’s phone slipped from his hand.
It struck the hardwood floor.
Nobody moved.
Teresa stared at the manager as though the words had arrived in a foreign language.
“Elena Mendoza?”
“Yes.”
“Altavista’s Elena Mendoza?”
“Yes.”
Mariana lowered her own phone.
“That’s impossible.”
The general manager shook his head.
“It isn’t.”
Teresa turned toward Javier.
“You told us her mother did consulting.”
Javier’s face had gone white.
“Sofia doesn’t talk about her family’s money.”
“Money?”
Teresa nearly shouted the word.
“She owns Altavista Hospitality Group!”
“She’s the CEO,” Javier corrected weakly.
That made it worse.
