Chapter 5 - RODRIGO’S VERSION
Rodrigo hired lawyers immediately and later offered a proffer to regulators. His version painted Mariana as architect and himself as facilitator.
He produced messages. MARIANA: Ethan cannot know Arlington until Dad is protected.
MARIANA: We need Miller debt neutralized. MARIANA: If he finds out before conversion, he’ll call Thomas.
Bad. Then: Use whatever trustee mechanism works.
Rodrigo replied: He won’t sign. Mariana answered: Then stop asking him.
Ambiguous, but ugly. The public kiss had also been planned. Rodrigo wrote: Once we’re together publicly, Ethan walks.
Mariana answered: I know. Then came the Zurich transfer. Her credentials were used from Meridian headquarters. Her laptop remained in her office during the transaction, but a hardware token authorized the payment.
Mariana admitted she had given Rodrigo a spare token months earlier for emergencies. Another compromise that became infrastructure.
The thirty-one million was supposedly payment for a healthcare acquisition vehicle in Switzerland. The target company existed but had almost no operating assets. The money moved again to Luxembourg within hours. Regulators froze approximately eighteen million. Thirteen million had already dispersed across three accounts, one linked to Rodrigo’s cousin and another to a trust benefiting Gregory Vale.
Gregory claimed ignorance. Then lobby footage leaked.
The internet saw me punch Rodrigo. Headlines called me a violent tech founder attacking my wife’s lover at her workplace. The longer footage eventually showed the kiss and his taunt, but the punch remained mine.
I issued one statement: I struck Mr. Santillan once after discovering his relationship with my wife. I regret using violence. I am cooperating fully in all investigations.
No excuses. My software company asked me to step back temporarily while its board reviewed any related transactions. Fair. Still painful.
Meridian’s board formed a special committee and removed Mariana, Rodrigo, Gregory, and me from direct control over the investigation. The committee’s first shocking discovery had nothing to do with Arlington.
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Eighteen months earlier, my own software company had paid three million dollars to a consulting entity controlled by Rodrigo. The approval carried my digital signature.
I had no memory of approving it.
