Chapter 13

Seeing Carlos sleep peacefully in the back seat of her car pissed Ivy off immensely. “A bastard like you does not deserve such luxury.” She muttered, her voice laced with contempt. 

Her gaze shifted to the bottle of water in the cup holder compartment of her car and for a moment, she contemplated drowning him with it but on second thought, that would do nothing but ruin the seat of her car.

Ivy nudged him gently and once he was half awake, she pulled him up and helped him into the house. Carlos fell to the couch, muttering inaudible words as he took off his shirt and shoes before falling unconscious again- this wasn't a new sight to her. 

In the few years they had been married, she had always had to clean up after him whenever he returned from his galavanting, reeking of alcohol. This time, she wasn't that same old Valerie who wouldn't mind such a chore. 

It also was no surprise to her that Carlos took the effort to change the decor of the house. From the couch to the paint, even the curtains she had picked out on their last Christmas as a couple, he had gotten rid of it all, every single trace of her. 

Reminiscing over a dark past that caused her immense pain was not her purpose for being there. After making sure that Carlos was asleep, she went up the stairs, heading for the bedroom. 

With steady hands, she pushed the door ajar as quietly as possible. Carlos may be there on the couch, knocked out cold, but she wasn't sure for how long that would be. She entered the room and immediately got to work. Ivy decided it was wise to leave the lights off, and proceeded to use her phone. She searched through the cupboards and wardrobe for nothing in particular, but anything that could prove useful to her. 

She hoped that Carlos had been clumsy enough to leave behind evidence of his vile acts, a hidden ledger, a safe, anything. 

But each drawer yielded nothing. 

With dashed hopes, she turned to leave when suddenly, her foot struck something hard and unyielding underneath the dresser. Her curiosity piqued and she crouched down to investigate. Hidden from view was a small cardboard box, carefully positioned to avoid detection.

Ivy's gaze darted to the door, then back to the box, the pacing of her heart increasing with each passing second. Without further hesitation, she lifted the lid, revealing a stack of files and documents neatly arranged within. Her eyes scanned the contents, racing through page after page of a proposed business contract worth billions of dollars which she had never seen before. 

The Querétaro City Project: A massive development endeavor spanning luxury resorts, commercial complexes and residential towers. 

Her mind spiraled at the magnitude of the project and its potential to set R Holdings back at the top as the number one construction company. “No, I cannot allow this.” She muttered, her eyes glued to the pages. “Carlos doesn’t deserve to reap the benefits of this project, not after everything he's done.”

Her grip on the documents tightened, her eyes blazing with fury and determination as she thought about the billions of dollars at stake. Billions that would line Carlos's pockets and fuel his deviousness.

“I'll make sure he loses everything,” Ivy vowed, “this project will be the beginning of your downfall, Carlos Rodriguez.”

Suddenly, the door swung open, and Carlos's presence filled the room. Ivy's heart skipped a beat, she could see his shadow from across the room. Luckily for her, she was crouched on the opposite side of the room, hidden from sight, and Carlos hadn't seen her yet. 

Ivy swiftly pressed her phone tightly to her chest, concealing the light. She held her breath, motionless as the light flicked on. She could not afford to be seen by Carlos, that would ruin everything. 

Carlos ventured further into the room, his footsteps echoing through the room. Ivy could tell from the rhythm of his steps that he was still in a hazy state but she wasn't certain how much of that was true, and so, she remained still. She heard the door creak open, likely the bathroom. Ivy waited in vain for the door to close, but the silence lingered. Then, the unmistakable sound of a zipper, followed by the hiss of urine hitting water. 

Next came the clang of the shower faucet, and the rush of water. That was her cue.

With Carlos momentarily distracted, Ivy seized the opportunity. She silently replaced the box in its position and rose from her hiding spot. 

Ivy tiptoed across the room, her heart pounding in her chest. She reached the door, slowly turned the handle and slipped out into the hallway. The sound of the shower masked her steps, giving ease to her escape. 

Hurriedly, she raced down the stairs and out of the house to her car. A sigh of relief left her lips as she merged into the highway. She dialed Juan's number on her phone but he was out of reach. Ivy pulled over by the side of the road, desperate to reach Juan.

Juan, I just found out that Carlos is working on a project. We cannot allow him to win this. We have to stop him from being awarded the contract at all costs. She was about to click the send button when her phone battery died.

“Shit!” She hit the steering wheel of her car in frustration. 

Juan was out of town and would not be back for God knows how long. Meaning that going to his house at that time of the night was not an option. She had to wait until she could reach him tomorrow.

Despite how frustrating the realization of that felt, she was left with no other choice. Ivy's hand on the steering wheel tightened as she rejoined the flow of traffic, determined now more than ev

er to achieve her goal of seeing Carlos's downfall.