Aurelia grew up without much love from her mother, and she never thought her real dad would ever come into her life. But then, he did. Now, she wonders if it's too late for him to rescue her from the darkness her parents left her in, or if there's s...
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The room was heavy with the kind of silence that spoke volumes. Santiago stood at the head of the table, his hands folded in front of him, his expression as unreadable as ever. The conversation had reached a boiling point, but the tension didn't stem from their usual discussions. It was about Arturo—their ally for years—whose recent silence had begun to feel like a betrayal in the making.
Christiàn, the eldest, sat with his usual composed demeanor, his piercing gaze never leaving the map spread out on the table in front of him. His mind was already working, thinking of every angle they could approach the situation from.
"We've given Arturo more than enough time," Christiàn said, his voice low and commanding. "This is becoming more than just a delay in shipments. His sudden silence... it smells like something's off."
Fernando, ever the relaxed one, shifted in his chair, a half-smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "You think he's trying to pull a fast one? He's been loyal for years. Can't believe he'd do something that dumb."
Ramón, the youngest of the brothers, leaned against the wall, arms crossed and eyes narrowed. "Loyalty means nothing if the man's been playing us from the start." His words were sharp, and his tone cold. "We've given him too much slack. If he's double-crossing us, we need to deal with him before it spreads."
Lorenzo, the more easygoing of the group, leaned back in his chair, a smile playing on his lips despite the tension in the room. "Maybe Arturo's just caught up with some personal business, huh? Not everything's a conspiracy, you know."
Santiago's eyes flicked briefly to his sons, observing them, before he spoke with quiet authority. "Lorenzo's right. We can't jump to conclusions yet, but we can't afford to be naïve either. If he's turning on us, it could jeopardize everything."
Christiàn's voice cut through the air again, a trace of irritation creeping into his tone. "That's exactly what I'm worried about. The longer we wait, the more it'll damage our position." He looked over at Fernando, who had been quiet for a moment, his eyes thoughtful. "Fernando, you need to get close to him. Find out who he's been talking to, what he's been hiding."
Fernando nodded, his usual casual attitude not masking the seriousness in his eyes. "Got it. I'll dig around, but I don't think it'll be easy. If Arturo's been playing us, he's probably covering his tracks pretty well."
Ramón's voice was sharp, laced with impatience. "I'll take care of his movements. No one gets past me." His eyes were cold, focused, and it was clear he was ready for action. Ramón never liked waiting for answers; he preferred to take matters into his own hands.
Santiago raised a hand, halting the discussion for a moment. "I don't want any rash moves. We handle this with precision." His voice was calm, but there was an edge to it. "We can't risk exposing ourselves, not until we know exactly what's going on."
Lorenzo smiled, his relaxed demeanor never wavering. "No worries, Pops. We've got this." He stretched his arms above his head as if the entire situation were just another boring task on a to-do list. "No need to stress."
