Rafael:
Upon making sure they were taken to the City, I spoke to my sister and Aunt Anastasia, to have lunch served in the main dining room, for there was much to celebrate. Then, I went up to my room, bathed, came down dressed in casual clothes, to announce the good news.
Gathering everyone around the huge dining room, taking Sophia by the hand, I informed them that I would make three announcements:
-Family! I wish to inform you that my Sofia, thanks to God, has recovered her memory,” I thanked them and there was a round of applause from everyone. While she was helping Rafael Enrique to eat the hake, which had been served as the main course.
-My God, thank you! -Estefania cried, hugging her daughter. While her triplets and twins looked at us without understanding what was happening.
-Yes, mother! Thank God,” she said with a smile, looking at her children again.
-Excellent! Sofia, I’m so happy for you,” Aunt Anastasia toasted. She raised her glass as a toast, got up from her chair and approached her, hugged and kissed her, receiving her as her daughter-in-law and let her know so.
-Thank you! Sofia replied somewhat self-consciously, because she did not know what to call her.
-Call me whatever you want! -she recommended, presuming what she felt.
-Heh, heh, heh, heh! How did you know that was my doubt? -Sofia interjected, smiling with her.
-I read it on your face! -she announced.
-Heh heh heh heh! -replied Sofia.
Sister-in-law, I’m happy you’re healed! -said Diana.
-Thank you, Diana! -replied Sofia, with a smile.
-The second announcement,” I continued speaking, “has to do with what you mentioned, sister,” I informed, taking Sofia’s hand, in which she was wearing her engagement ring.
“Sofia, she agreed to marry me,” I confessed all excited, causing our children and nephews to start a chorus of screams, expressing their emotions….
-Finally we have a daddy! -Rafael Angel shouted happily and so did Rafael Argenis.
Meanwhile, Rafael Enrique was astonished and speechless. He got down from his chair and ran to me, hugged me by the legs, happy because this was what he wanted. In view of the emotion he was expressing, I picked him up, hugged him and gave him a kiss.
After so much euphoria, I informed them that the third announcement would be made on the terrace, after lunch. Because I had to explain something to the triplets that they did not know. My sister Diana suggested that it was preferable to talk about it with them and Sofia.
-Sister, I’m sorry for not pleasing you! But it seems to me that it will be necessary that Aunt and Estefania accompany us,” I requested.
They gladly accepted the proposal made by me, answering that they would accompany us after dessert. They had prepared the cake that the children loved as an after-dinner snack.
In Ciudad La Rosa, the narrator:
Reyner, reading the news on the digital portal of the City, learned of the capture of Brutus, one of the men who along with Popeye know what he and Chepa Rondon did with Milko Zambrano. He worriedly called this one.
Rin! Rin!
-What are you doing, calling me after so many years? -Chepa asked, astonished.
-Why did you allow Brutus to be arrested? -he questioned.
-I don’t have money to help him, I don’t know if you heard, but I had to close the importer and the vineyards. These will be put up for auction on Monday next week,” she assured him.
-Why didn’t you tell me? I could have done something, so as not to let that business fund be totally lost,” Reyner replied.
-I had no choice! You know I never had a good eye for business and even less for administration,” she said.
-That’s no excuse, you could perfectly well have lived off the profits by putting someone else in charge of the administration,” he said.
-Well, I think it’s too late for complaints and reproaches! -After so many years, you’re going to call me to complain about what I stopped doing, why did you disappear from our life? -she asked angrily.
-I thought I was no longer needed, because both of you were insured for life, with such a prosperous company,” he said.
“In any case, what have the lawyers told you? Can anything be done? -he asked again.
-It would take millions of dollars to stop everything,” she replied.
-At the moment, I don’t have those figures available, because due to a stone in my path, which I haven’t been able to remove yet, I lost many millions of dollars,” he confessed, reflecting on Sofia.
-Relax! In any case, I am not totally poor. What worries me is that Popeye will be arrested. He’s on the run and I haven’t been able to locate him. I guess he was forced to throw away his phone, so he wouldn’t be traced,” she said.
-That’s for sure! -And our daughter? -he asked.
-I don’t know who she went out with, because she doesn’t look like me,” he said with disdain.
“It was too big for her to take a man to bed and take possession of his fortune, as beautiful as the damned woman is, and she has not known how to exploit this beauty! But, as she loves to get laid with anyone, without looking at her financial statements…” said Chepa.
-Who else is she going to go out with? In that, she does go out to her mother. Or have you forgotten what you were? Remember that you came out of a nest of bitches,” he announced offensively.
-Yes? However, remember that it was in that nest of bitches that you met me, got me pregnant and took me out to annihilate Milko Zambrano, your great rival,” she replied angrily.
-But don’t complain! Why didn’t you do badly? You’ve lived like a society lady, a widow, sleeping with whomever you want and on top of that, a millionaire,” he reproached bitterly.
-Aha! And that’s why you called me, to reproach me for sleeping with others? -he asked, smiling.
-That’s not my problem! The only thing that worries me is that by arresting Popeye and Brutus, facts from the past will come to light that neither you nor I would find convenient,” he added, alarmed.
-And what do you want me to do? -First, I have no money to pay a lawyer’s fees to help Brutus, and I don’t want to be linked to him.
“And second, I also don’t know where to find Popeye, who knows everything about the two of us. I lost all contact with him,” she said, worried.
-You don’t know where he was living? -Reyner asked.
-I already went, the apartment is alone, according to one of the neighbors, he hasn’t been there for days,” said Chepa.
I went around where he used to hang out, but nothing, I couldn’t find him,” confirmed Chepa.
-This is not good! No, we can’t trust it,” said Reyner, trying to figure out where it might be hidden.
-Can you help me with that? Already with the vineyard and the importer there is nothing to do. However, in order to avoid going to jail, I think we still have time,” she confessed.
-You’re right about that! -Do you know why Brutus was arrested? -Reyner asked.
-Yes, for kidnapping someone,” she said, ignoring that it was Reyner’s other daughter. Since Mirelys was only naming the young woman by her two first names without mentioning her last name.
-For the kidnapping of someone? Do you know who it is? -He asked again, narrowing his eyes and becoming defensive.
-No, I don’t know! -she lied, so as not to involve or explain to him about her daughter and the kidnapping.
Besides, she did not know how he would react, knowing that her daughter had been able to plan the death of one person, as well as the kidnapping of another. Consequently, he preferred to keep quiet so as not to have to explain anything to this one…