ignored details, and frequently treated company money as an extension of his personal allowance.
Gabriel corrected his mistakes privately.
When Sebastian purchased an expensive vehicle without authorization, Gabriel required him to return it.
When he missed deadlines, his father assigned an experienced manager to supervise his projects.
But Gabriel never truly confronted the deeper problem.
He feared pushing his only son away.
Then, in March 2023, Sebastian announced that he was leaving the family business to pursue an independent venture.
He created Navarro Residential Services, a property maintenance company that would supposedly supply landscaping, repairs, and equipment support to developers.
Gabriel wished him success.
He even approved a limited vendor relationship, provided that the company’s procurement team followed ordinary competitive procedures.
What he did not know was that Sebastian had already begun using old relationships and his family name to influence employees who should have questioned his invoices.
By June, Sebastian called home with a trembling voice.
‘Dad, the business is collapsing,’ he said.
‘I’ve lost contracts.
We can’t keep paying staff.
Victoria and I are struggling.’
Teresa was listening on the other line.
Sebastian explained that the children needed supervision while he and Victoria searched for ways to recover financially.
‘Could Mom stay with us for a few months?’ he asked.
‘Just until things stabilize.’
Gabriel hesitated.
Teresa had recently been suffering from arthritis, especially in her hands.
Their doctor had recommended avoiding repetitive strain and prolonged standing.
But Teresa insisted.
‘Those are our grandchildren,’ she said.
‘I can help with meals and homework.
Three months will be fine.’
Gabriel drove her to the mansion himself.
On the day she arrived, Victoria embraced her warmly and promised she would have her own room.
Sebastian carried her suitcase upstairs.
Everything seemed ordinary.
For the first two weeks, Teresa called Gabriel every evening.
She talked about helping eight-year-old Mateo with multiplication and reading bedtime stories to five-year-old Sofia.
She described the children’s laughter, the garden, and the kitchen she enjoyed cooking in.
Then the conversations began changing.
She stopped mentioning outings.
She sounded tired.
When Gabriel asked what she had eaten, she often changed the subject.
One afternoon, he heard Victoria’s voice in the background.
‘Teresa! The bathroom is still dirty!’
His wife immediately lowered her voice.
‘I should go, darling.’
‘Why is Victoria asking you to clean bathrooms?’
‘It’s nothing.
The housekeeper was away.’
A week later, Teresa stopped answering video calls.
Sebastian claimed the internet connection was unreliable.
When Gabriel suggested visiting, Sebastian said Sofia had a contagious illness.
The following weekend, he said they were traveling.
The next time, Victoria was supposedly dealing with a private family matter.
Gabriel began keeping track of the excuses.
By November, he had counted seven canceled visits.
One night, Teresa whispered something unusual.
‘Gabriel, do you still keep copies of the old company stamps and signature records?’
‘Why would you ask that?’
She paused.
‘No reason.
I was remembering the office.’
Before he could question her, the call ended.
Gabriel considered driving to the mansion immediately, but Teresa sent a message saying she was fine.
He wanted to believe her.
That was his mistake.
On December 27, Gabriel received a photograph from his granddaughter’s school event.
Sofia stood beside Victoria, smiling in a beautiful red dress.
In the background, through an open
