Saul was still thinking about how to convince his daughter, but to his surprise, she offered to leave Sogen City. With a pang of relief, he nodded to Sandra.
-Go upstairs and get your things, we’ll be leaving tonight.
Her tone was so serious that Sandra, though she wasn’t sure why she was being rushed, obediently headed upstairs. Before leaving she glanced at Ruben by the car, cringed at the look he gave her and climbed in without looking back.
Sandra was now truly afraid of the Santangels, and of the man standing next to Umberto.
As she drove off, Saul looked at Ruben and leaned toward him.
-Thank you. Tonight we leave Sogen City and will not return.
Ruben’s gaze was indifferent, he seemed unfeeling and unreachable to anyone but his own boss.
-You don’t have to thank me, thank Lord Santangel.
If Umberto had behaved as before, the father and daughter would have been skinned. But now that Albina was pregnant, Umberto had taken things easy to bless the baby in her womb, and after all, they had done nothing really harmful.
Saul froze for a moment, with mixed feelings. When he had first seen Umberto, he had been intimidated by his aura and had thought he was some kind of unpleasant person.
After a moment’s reflection, he said to Ruben.
-Then I would be grateful if Mr. Escribano would convey my thanks to him. This matter was directed by Jaime, but I was also to blame, and if the Santangel Group needs me, I am at their disposal for whatever they want me to do.
Ruben raised an eyebrow, he did not expect such words from a man of such poor psychology and cowardice.
-Okay, get in, I’ll take you to the airport later.
In case Jaime received the information and suddenly sent someone to silence him, Ruben thought it would be better to send the father and daughter himself.
When the night was over and the father and daughter were dismissed, there was no word from the men the Santangels had sent to watch Jaime’s movements.
It seemed that Jaime was so sure of what was going to happen tomorrow that he didn’t care about Saul, a minor henchman who thought he had it in for him.
When Ruben reported the matter to Umberto, the latter only replied with derision.
I’m counting on you for tomorrow, and don’t give Jaime any half-hearted respect.
-Yes, Mr. Santangel! -said Ruben.
After the accident at Jaime’s engagement party and the fuss he had caused to avoid being accused, and after learning that Albina had been held hostage and invented to ruin her and Umberto’s reputation, Ruben was not going to sit idly by.
Tomorrow he would give Jaime, the villain, a good meeting for Mr. Santangel.
The summer nights were short and the next day dawned at five o’clock. Jaime rose early in good spirits, the melancholy vanished from his face.
When he came downstairs, he was just in time to see the old man sitting on the sofa drinking tea.
The old people had woken up early, and Alfredo heard the commotion upstairs and looked up.
With that one look, Jaime’s smile fell.
-Grandpa, you’re up early, why don’t you sleep more?
Alfredo’s gaze was heavy and his expression serious.
-Are you going to the auction for that land in the outskirts?
As he spoke, Jaime had already reached the old man, he stopped and said with sincerity:
-Yes, grandfather.
Alfredo frowned.
-Umberto wanted that land because they had taken over most of the Carballal family’s property and the auction would have been very profitable for the Santangel Group. Why do you need that land? Why spend a lot of money for the small part of the property that the Carballal family gave us? Jaime, you’re making a losing proposition!
Alfredo spoke sternly with a hint of hatred and a sigh of frustration.
He didn’t mind his son or grandson being competitive, but he didn’t like the idea of doing something irrational to be competitive. Jaime was now clearly caught up in his hatred of Umberto and had lost his mind.
The words were advice to Jaime, but to Jaime’s ears they only sounded like a scolding, as if Alfredo was telling him that he was inferior to Umberto in every way, which embarrassed and angered him.
Because of his emotions, Jaime’s words hardened.
-Grandfather, don’t worry, you said before that I am the heir of the Dry Group, I have my own ideas on this matter. If you refute me, it will only make me more determined.
I had to prove that I was no worse than Umberto.
Alfredo got a little angry at his words, covering his chest.
-If I order you not to go today, are you going to disown me?
Jaime paused for a moment, repressing the irritation in his own heart, his face tinged with melancholy.
-Grandfather, what are you talking about? This matter is very important to me, you must not be capricious. I am determined to have this land, and I will not give it to Umberto.
-Jaime! -Alfredo roared, about to speak when Jaime interrupted him.
-Grandfather! Umberto has made me lose my leg and made me a laughing stock in the eyes of others, and I won’t let it go. Besides, Umberto and Albina had to do with the reason why Angelina ended our marriage….
Jaime gritted his teeth, his face grim with hatred. He had tried everything to save the marriage in the last few days, but no matter how much he tried to bully her, the Pomar family didn’t agree, and Angelina was adamant. It was clear that earlier Jaime could sense that she was in love with him.
He had suspected that Albina had said something to Angelina earlier and had checked the CCTV on the day of the engagement. The surveillance footage captured the scene very realistically.
Indeed, it was Angelina who spoke to Albina, then ran off to argue with her parents and subsequently proposed to her to withdraw from the marriage.
The evidence was overwhelming, and with old grudges hanging over him, Jaime could not wait to kill Umberto and Albina, who were his nemeses.
Now that he had the chance to get the better of Umberto, he couldn’t pass it up.
Alfredo’s breathing was ragged and Jaime realized he was being a little hard on himself. Alfredo still owned Grupo Seco and his succession was still in play.
-Grandfather, you don’t have to worry, I know the Santangel Group’s budget and I have it in mind.
Alfredo stared at him for a long moment, then got up on his crutches and turned his back to Jaime.
-Do what you want, just think for yourself,” he said in a tired voice.
She had raised Jaime for many years, but she had still brought him up wrong. No, to be precise, Jaime’s nature had been set from the moment he entered the Seco family, and all those years of upbringing hadn’t broken him.
Alfredo was really disappointed with him this time. This grandson was too narrow, unprincipled and unscrupulous, even too emotional. He was nothing like his father, nor like Alfredo.
Alfredo said nothing more and left the room.
Jaime watched Alfredo’s back as he left with a sullen look, resentment welling up in his eyes.
In the past, although he had cared more about the Seco family fortune, he had respected Alfredo wholeheartedly, but now, having been denied by Alfredo time and time again, all that respect had turned to resentment.
The car was ready and the driver was standing beside the car when he saw Jaime approaching angrily.
The driver didn’t dare say a word and headed towards the auction site.
The auction started at 7:30 a. m. and by 7:00 a. m. representatives from all the companies were arriving.
When Jaime got out of the car, he saw Ruben get out.
As expected, Umberto was not there in person, but was represented by his personal assistant.
Jaime, who was still angry with Alfredo for scolding him, turned to Ruben with a hint of condescension to vent his frustration.
-You’re not from the Santangel Group? Where is Mr. Santangel?
At these words, Jaime covered his mouth as if he had suddenly remembered something and said with a somber and false sense of humor:
-Ah, I forgot, your Mr. Santangel is still in the hospital. I’m afraid he can’t get out of bed yet, what a pity!
Ruben was in the middle of an interview with the man next to him when he heard that unpleasant voice and looked up to see Jaime’s somber face.
For some reason, Ruben’s fists stiffened at the sight of that face.
Jaime’s expression was so unbearable that he wanted to punch him in the teeth.