Alfredo was very picky about his grooming and, as he got older, he had to dye his hair black every time he got gray hair to look young.
Especially when he goes to see Sergio, he grooms himself as if to compare himself to him.
However, today Sergio noticed that he had a lot of gray hair mixed in with the black hair on the top of his head, and even though he had neatly combed it, he looked very different from before.
Something must have happened to Alfredo.
Sergio looked at Alfredo, who had been competing with himself all his life, and turned to point to the sofa.
-Sit down.
Alfredo gestured to the secretary behind him, who put down her things and left.
Only the two old men remained in the large room.
They sat facing each other, Sergio prepared the tea and brought one of the cups to him before looking up.
-What’s bothering you? Tell me.
Alfredo looked at the cup for a long moment before speaking slowly:
-This time I have come here for two things. One is to apologize, and the other?
He paused and said:
-Jaime was already a bit stubborn and twisted in nature due to his leg injury. When he made a fool of himself at the engagement party and was rejected by the Pomar family, his temper changed drastically and he did some bad things.
Alfredo looked at Sergio with some guilt and embarrassment.
Jaime spread all those rumors about your granddaughter-in-law.
Sergio’s expression did not change as he took a slow sip of his tea and lowered his eyebrows.
-I know.
The Santangels had been the first to investigate the source of the rumors when they first surfaced, and despite Jaime’s secrecy, they had found out.
When the results of the investigation were known, Olivia was furious and tried to confront Jaime, but Alfredo stopped her.
These kinds of rumors, the more they are taken personally and the more they try to clarify, the more the debate will be fueled.
Albina was pregnant and could not bear negative news, so the best they could do was to keep things quiet. These kinds of rumors, without evidence to back them up, are just rumors that would dissipate in no time.
Even if Sergio hadn’t asked anyone to go after Jaime, it didn’t mean he wasn’t angry with him.
Looking at Alfredo with a bowed head and an embarrassed expression, Sergio let out a deep sigh.
-Alfredo, I have known you for many years and I know your nature well. When you were young you were very proud, you never bowed your head before others. But look at you now, in your old age, still jumping from house to house every day for your grandchildren, bending your head to make amends to others, making people laugh…..
Alfredo listened, his dry, old fingers clenched, inwardly embarrassed and annoyed, but he really couldn’t help but admit that Sergio was right.
When he was younger, the Dry Group had had problems and had almost gone bankrupt, but he had gritted his teeth and had come through, never asking for a helping hand. Now, on the other hand, he bowed down to the others every day and made a fool of himself.
Sergio watched her expression and when he saw it was the right time, he stopped with a meaningful look.
-Remember what I told you earlier at your engagement party?
Alfredo froze for a moment at those words.
Sergio let out a deep sigh as he saw the confused expression on his face.
Alfredo didn’t really take what he had said seriously.
But it was normal, if it had been himself, a lonely family, his daughter married, his only son leaving home, his grandson suddenly arriving at his door, bringing the news of the death of his son and daughter-in-law, and holding his son’s suicide note….
With all the grief and all the evidence, she feared that she also would not think twice about accepting this grandson.
Jaime had been raised by Alfredo for so many years that he had poured both his heart and soul into him and now he was no different from his own grandson.
Sergio pondered whether he should tell Alfredo about the paternity test, fearing that he would not accept it.
Alfredo was too old to be affected by a sudden shock, and if anything happened to him in the Santangel house, he would regret it for the rest of his life.
Alfredo saw his expression change and his eyes became complicated, but after reflecting for a long moment, he said nothing.
Sergio guessed he had something to hide, but he was not the kind of person to impose himself on others, so he waved his hand.
-Forget it, if you can’t say it, don’t say it. Today I had a fight with Jaime and I don’t want to bother any more in his business.
Sergio was immediately intrigued and asked:
-Have you quarreled with your grandson? -Why?
As he finished, he remembered that when Alfredo had just given him an apology, he had spoken of Jaime with a pause and a strange tone.
If Alfredo was completely disappointed in Jaime, then he might consider dropping the paternity test issue…..
Alfredo was so engrossed in his own thoughts that he did not notice Sergio’s strange and somewhat excited look and said to himself:
-It’s about today’s auction. Jaime wanted to get that small part of the Carballal family’s estate. What’s the point of auctioning that vacant lot around there and then having to invest more money later? It’s a losing proposition… I have warned you many times and Jaime insists on bidding against you. Now he has stiffened his wings and my words are of no use to him, I even fear he is angry with me.
Alfredo had a somber expression and his tone showed indescribable disappointment.
-Sometimes I wonder now if Jaime is the descendant of our family. Although his father quarreled with me before and left home because of his supposed love, he was still exceptionally sensible and mild-mannered in matters of companionship. Where is that stubborn look in Jaime?
Somehow, Alfredo really wanted to talk to Sergio, to say all the things that had been bottled up in his mind, as if he was getting it off his chest.
He knew Sergio was a man of character and would not reveal these words. He and Sergio had been rivals throughout his life, both enemies and friends, and now, in his old age, Alfredo could only talk to him.
Alfredo vented his emotions, not noticing that Sergio’s eyes were getting brighter and brighter.
Especially when he said, “Sometimes I wonder if Jaime is a descendant of our family,” Sergio’s breath caught.
He really wanted to interrupt Alfredo and tell him that Jaime was not a descendant of the Seco family, that he was an imposter!
But he listened patiently, watching Alfredo’s expression at all times. Observing if he was simply angry with Jaime, if he hated him for his indiscretion or if he was really disappointed with him.
As he watched, Sergio was even more surprised that Alfredo was disappointed with Jaime, both in his words and in his behavior and movements.
When he finished, Sergio took a deep breath, made up his mind and looked at Alfredo with burning eyes.
Alfredo was taken aback by his gaze and froze.
-What? What’s wrong?
“Had I said too much? Was it too much negativity, and had I made Sergio impatient?”
Sergio was about to spill the beans about the paternity test when he heard a commotion at the door, interspersed with Olivia’s excited voice.
-Albina, I’ve had everything packed up at your house and everything will be here tonight, so you can rest easy. We’ll have someone to take care of everything from now on, and you’ll just have a good pregnancy. And you, Umberto, don’t think that just because you’re out of the hospital you can work like before. You’re not fully healed yet, so rest, don’t get tired and don’t make us worry about Albina. She can’t afford to be scared at all now, got it?
Sergio heard the voice, got up suddenly and headed for the door.