Chapter 2 - The Phantom LLC
The heavy oak door of Mateo’s home office clicked shut, locking out the muffled sounds of the birthday party still echoing from the front lawn. The room smelled of old leather, expensive bourbon, and the faint, sweet scent of Carmen’s jasmine perfume.
Mateo shoved Carmen toward the leather sofa, but she caught her balance with practiced grace, refusing to look chastised. She crossed her legs, adjusting her rings with infuriating composure.
—You are going to explain this right now, —Mateo growled, slamming his palms down onto the mahogany desk. His face was mottled red, veins bulging at his temples. —The bank statement showed a wire transfer made three days ago. Not a withdrawal for a car dealership. A wire transfer to an entity called C&V Lifestyle Consulting LLC. What the hell is C&V Lifestyle Consulting?
I stood near the door, my heart hammering against my ribs, watching my stepmother carefully. Carmen didn’t blink. She reached into her handbag, pulled out a gold-plated compact case, and calmly checked her lipstick in the mirror before snapping it shut.
—It’s an investment, Mateo, —she said smoothly, her voice as calm as a summer lake. —We’ve been discussing expanding our real estate holdings in Austin. Opportunities don't wait for your permission slip.
—An investment? —I stepped forward, my voice shaking with rage. —You invested my tuition into a consulting firm no one has ever heard of? Who owns C&V Lifestyle Consulting? Let me guess—does the 'C' stand for Carmen? What about the 'V'? Is it Valeria? Or maybe some shell corporation you set up to bleed my father dry?
Carmen let out a sharp, dry laugh that lacked any warmth. —Watch your tone, ungrateful little girl. Your father and I share finances. Under Texas law, what’s his is mine, and what’s mine is—
—That money wasn't his to share! —I shouted, tears finally breaking free and tracking hot paths down my cheeks. —That money was protected! It was held in a survivorship trust designated solely for my education! My mother’s attorney set it up specifically so people like you couldn't touch it!
Mateo froze. He slowly turned his head to look at Carmen, his expression shifting from blind fury to a cold, creeping horror. —A trust? Carmen, what did you do? You told me the funds had been transferred into our joint savings for tax optimization. You said it was temporary!
Carmen’s composure cracked for a fraction of a second, a micro-expression of panic flashing across her eyes before she buried it beneath a mask of indignant offense. —I did what was best for this family! You’ve been drowning in debt for two years, Mateo, and you know it! Your restaurant supply business is bleeding cash, the mortgage on this house is underwater, and you haven't had the balls to admit it to anyone! I stepped in and saved us!
—By stealing my future? —I whispered, the words tasting like ash in my mouth.
Before Mateo could demand the bank printouts, the office door swung open, and Valeria stood in the frame, tears streaming down her carefully applied makeup. She clutched her phone in both hands, her knuckles white.
—Mamá... —Valeria’s voice was a ragged squeak. —Tell me that I’m not seeing what I think I’m seeing.
Carmen stood up instantly, her maternal armor slipping back on with practiced ease. —Valeria, honey, go back outside. The adults are discussing business matters.
—No! Look at this! —Valeria thrust her phone forward, spinning the screen around so we could all see an email notification that had just popped up.
It was an automated receipt from an online payment portal. The header read: Thank you for your payment to C&V Lifestyle Consulting LLC.
The amount transferred was listed clearly in bold black text: $120,000.
The date of the transaction wasn't from three days ago. It was scheduled for the upcoming Friday—four days from now.
Silence descended upon the room, so heavy and absolute that the ticking of the grandfather clock in the hallway sounded like a hammer striking an anvil.
—Another hundred and twenty thousand? —Mateo breathed, his voice barely audible. He looked at Carmen, his eyes wide and uncomprehending. —Carmen... what is scheduled for Friday? What account is that money coming from?
Valeria looked like she was going to throw up. She looked at her mother, then at me, her lower lip trembling. —Mamá... you said the car was paid for with my college fund savings that you and Dad saved up. You said my name was on the account. But when I logged into my student portal just now... my account said insufficient funds for my tuition deposit too.
Carmen’s face drained of color. The carefully constructed facade of the untouchable queen bee finally shattered, leaving behind a cornered, desperate woman.
—You... you didn't even use your own money for the Mustang? —I asked, a dark, hysterical laugh bubbling up in my throat. —You bought her a car with my money, and the other account you emptied... was hers?
Carmen opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.
Mateo didn't wait. He walked around the desk, grabbed the iPad lying beside the printer, and unlocked it with his thumbprint. His fingers flew across the screen, pulling up the master financial dashboard, the shared cloud drive, and the digital filing cabinet where Carmen kept the family’s administrative documents.
—Let's see who owns C&V Lifestyle Consulting, —Mateo muttered, his voice shaking with a cold, terrifying calm. He tapped on an attached PDF document labeled Articles of Organization - State of Delaware.
He scrolled down to the signatures at the bottom.
I leaned over his shoulder, my eyes scanning the text until they hit the signature line.
My breath caught in my throat. Mateo’s face went entirely slack, the color draining from his skin until he looked like a corpse under the harsh desk lamp.
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Because that signature didn't belong to Carmen. And it didn't belong to any anonymous corporate shell. It belonged to someone whose name we hadn't spoken in this house for over five years.
Someone we thought was dead to our world.
