A day after that conversation between Leonel and Sofia, things were not going well in San Juan, the teacher could sense it thanks to the hermetic behavior of the guards. She asked Liliana about it, feeling an outstanding Deja Vu, but the cook told her that she didn't know anything. Both sealed a pact of sincerity, although inside Liliana understood very well that she could not fail the boss if he asked not to report something specific. Dolores and Sofia tried to enjoy a pleasant day with Liam, but the teacher noticed that since what had happened the night before, after what she had heard from Leonel (something she was quick to tell the newcomer), the atmosphere was tense. She tried with Francisco but realized that he was hiding information from her. Mr. Francisco used to be transparent, she was starting to get to know him. She tried again with a couple of bodyguards but without success. She called Leonel and was again rejected with a simple "he is busy", from a Frank who answered
Sofia had trouble falling asleep. The next morning, she went into her sister's room without waiting to get up. "What's the matter, Sofi? You won't even let me sleep anymore. I'm of an age. Sister, I'm fifteen years older than you, and I love you very much." The teacher opened the curtains to let in the little light of the first hours of the day. "I'll need you to do me a favor." Dolores scrunched up her face and pulled the comforter over herself. "Am I on a cruise ship adrift in Altamar? This house is a mess. I'm on vacation, honey." "Dolores, pay attention to me." Sofia sat down next to her on the mattress. "Something happened with Raymond. Something bad." Dolores's sleepiness began to dissipate as Sofia recounted everything she did last night, the newcomer more and more surprised by the changes her sister was making. For Dolores, Sofia, who arrived in Spain with an emergency and a child in her arms, was always cheerful, proactive, and feisty, but also calm; she left everythin
Sofia was surprised by what she found when entered. "Sofia?" Raymond stood up from a chair next to the luxurious hospital bed. He was dressed in jeans and a white T-shirt, white sneakers with a branded design. He was a bit disheveled but didn't look bad. However, his face... He looked like hadn't slept well. "I thought you'd be... worse?" she commented. "What are you doing here? Did Leonel let you come? I can't believe he let you see me like this." She had her eyebrows slightly furrowed, stopping in her tracks. "Leonel doesn't know I'm here. I had to escape as if I were a prisoner." Then she pointed at him with both hands. "What happened to you? I mean, a clinic?" He looked at her sadly. "Did someone tell you what happened to me?" She shook her head. "I have addiction problems."Sofia's lips parted, she never expected to hear something like that, especially not from someone like him. She suddenly remembered what the pizza guards, the same ones out there, said about Raymond. Th
There was no evidence of abuse either, only the recent text messages that Leonel couldn't help but reply to demanding Cord to leave him alone, perhaps with some bad word, something made him feel annoyed when it was criticized and used as the alleged abuse. Vos knew he would go to hell for not acknowledging what he had done to Elizabeth's car while she was inside, but for him, who claimed to have already been to "that" place, he wasn't too worried that someone would want to send him back to the frying pan. Also, he couldn't tell there what Elizabeth did, nor his intentions with her actions, because he would have to open a wicked world before the eyes of the law that didn't suit him; talk about forbidden people, mention powerful surnames, make very delicate accusations. If he had to pay for damages before the untouchable morals of Miss Cord, he would do it. It would not be the first time, and in fact, he had already done it with the purchase of that car that she refused to use, camoufla
Hours after the legal appointment with Elizabeth, Leonel entered his apartment with an angry face, although it was not because of what he experienced that morning with the blonde, but because of having to wear the sling and the impossibility of moving his arm well, when the doctor demanded that he didn't do it at all since he had to take care of the operation. Every time he took a bath, he used to move it a little and liked that the pain was less and less. He threw the jacket on the key table, it was slipping off again. Taking his corresponding steps, stepping out of the short area between the foyer and the rest of the apartment, he stopped short, having the living room in front of him, with the thick fabric blinds partially closed. The medium darkness of the evening and the status of the living room didn't prevent him from being able to see perfectly who was waiting for him in one of the armchairs. Sofia Sullivan stood up at the sight of him, she would hold her heart with one hand
Sofia Sullivan must have been awake and attentive.Just a few minutes ago, she'd been named the best employee in the coffee shop; how could she not live up to it?But she wanted to squeeze her eyes shut for a long minute. Breathe too."How will I pay all these debts?" she asked herself after had done her math.She found it ironic to say that money wasn't everything, but far more ironic the awards she was given before went home. Her landlady gave her an ultimatum, she had to pay the rent that week. The debt was for two months. If she didn't want to go live in a shelter, the best thing to do was to catch up.These were difficult times. He hadn't been receiving support from the municipality for months and his salary wasn't enough. It was a good job, but still not enough. The accounts did not lie, she was in the red. Standing behind the cash register of the café where she worked, still wearing her apron, she kept writing in her little notebook the various strategies that her dull head des
"What do you mean...? Theft? I've never stolen anything in my life!"Vos kept his words to himself, but he wanted to believe her."You can't take me without any information, this is a kidnapping! Who has reported me for theft? Who?!""We ask you to remain silent until we arrive," the rookie growled, receiving a stern look from his superior.Vos glanced at the center mirror and met Sofia's burning gaze.He swallowed hard. Stopped at a traffic light, a beam of daylight painted those eyes and he could see them more clearly. He immediately wanted to detail them, to see them up close and corroborate their innocence.Sofia remained silent, but held his gaze with determination, not being intimidated by him, not even by the journey he was taking into an uncertain future. Still breathing fast and her nerves on edge, she carried a tangled mess inside her head trying to figure out who could have put her in a patrol car as if she were a criminal.She was thinking about her little boy, only one-ye
The policeman's face froze on hearing such news. He cursed to himself, but at the same time, his questions grew. The Cliff family was everywhere: in business, in banks, in politics, in the courts, and the police. He belonged to the Intelligence Department, and it wasn't his job to investigate cases close to them, but everyone at the station knew that the Internal Affairs Department pursued anyone linked to police corruption and the strongest version: that this corruption was sponsored by the Cliffs and their business. It was never his jurisdiction to catch white collars, but he knew who the leaders of those mafias were. His boss gave him Sofia's case, which mentioned Gael as the plaintiff. He was only taking her to the station; now he understood the reason for making her enter from behind and take her to the special interrogation room. He had thought it was for avoiding ordinary paperwork and not for anything worse.Vos looked at her for several seconds and bit his lower lip, thinking
Hours after the legal appointment with Elizabeth, Leonel entered his apartment with an angry face, although it was not because of what he experienced that morning with the blonde, but because of having to wear the sling and the impossibility of moving his arm well, when the doctor demanded that he didn't do it at all since he had to take care of the operation. Every time he took a bath, he used to move it a little and liked that the pain was less and less. He threw the jacket on the key table, it was slipping off again. Taking his corresponding steps, stepping out of the short area between the foyer and the rest of the apartment, he stopped short, having the living room in front of him, with the thick fabric blinds partially closed. The medium darkness of the evening and the status of the living room didn't prevent him from being able to see perfectly who was waiting for him in one of the armchairs. Sofia Sullivan stood up at the sight of him, she would hold her heart with one hand
There was no evidence of abuse either, only the recent text messages that Leonel couldn't help but reply to demanding Cord to leave him alone, perhaps with some bad word, something made him feel annoyed when it was criticized and used as the alleged abuse. Vos knew he would go to hell for not acknowledging what he had done to Elizabeth's car while she was inside, but for him, who claimed to have already been to "that" place, he wasn't too worried that someone would want to send him back to the frying pan. Also, he couldn't tell there what Elizabeth did, nor his intentions with her actions, because he would have to open a wicked world before the eyes of the law that didn't suit him; talk about forbidden people, mention powerful surnames, make very delicate accusations. If he had to pay for damages before the untouchable morals of Miss Cord, he would do it. It would not be the first time, and in fact, he had already done it with the purchase of that car that she refused to use, camoufla
Sofia was surprised by what she found when entered. "Sofia?" Raymond stood up from a chair next to the luxurious hospital bed. He was dressed in jeans and a white T-shirt, white sneakers with a branded design. He was a bit disheveled but didn't look bad. However, his face... He looked like hadn't slept well. "I thought you'd be... worse?" she commented. "What are you doing here? Did Leonel let you come? I can't believe he let you see me like this." She had her eyebrows slightly furrowed, stopping in her tracks. "Leonel doesn't know I'm here. I had to escape as if I were a prisoner." Then she pointed at him with both hands. "What happened to you? I mean, a clinic?" He looked at her sadly. "Did someone tell you what happened to me?" She shook her head. "I have addiction problems."Sofia's lips parted, she never expected to hear something like that, especially not from someone like him. She suddenly remembered what the pizza guards, the same ones out there, said about Raymond. Th
Sofia had trouble falling asleep. The next morning, she went into her sister's room without waiting to get up. "What's the matter, Sofi? You won't even let me sleep anymore. I'm of an age. Sister, I'm fifteen years older than you, and I love you very much." The teacher opened the curtains to let in the little light of the first hours of the day. "I'll need you to do me a favor." Dolores scrunched up her face and pulled the comforter over herself. "Am I on a cruise ship adrift in Altamar? This house is a mess. I'm on vacation, honey." "Dolores, pay attention to me." Sofia sat down next to her on the mattress. "Something happened with Raymond. Something bad." Dolores's sleepiness began to dissipate as Sofia recounted everything she did last night, the newcomer more and more surprised by the changes her sister was making. For Dolores, Sofia, who arrived in Spain with an emergency and a child in her arms, was always cheerful, proactive, and feisty, but also calm; she left everythin
A day after that conversation between Leonel and Sofia, things were not going well in San Juan, the teacher could sense it thanks to the hermetic behavior of the guards. She asked Liliana about it, feeling an outstanding Deja Vu, but the cook told her that she didn't know anything. Both sealed a pact of sincerity, although inside Liliana understood very well that she could not fail the boss if he asked not to report something specific. Dolores and Sofia tried to enjoy a pleasant day with Liam, but the teacher noticed that since what had happened the night before, after what she had heard from Leonel (something she was quick to tell the newcomer), the atmosphere was tense. She tried with Francisco but realized that he was hiding information from her. Mr. Francisco used to be transparent, she was starting to get to know him. She tried again with a couple of bodyguards but without success. She called Leonel and was again rejected with a simple "he is busy", from a Frank who answered
Leonel smiled. Frank was right, talking to Sofia was for the best. He felt much calmer now and she was a bit of a comedian, despite everything. He enjoyed talking to her. The way she was, the way she expressed herself, the teacher was sweet and in character; he had noticed it before, and once again, he confirmed it. "Raymond called me." She raised her eyebrows. "Of course he did," Sofia muttered. "He told me about Tamara, but it's private, very much his, it's not my place to clear it up."Sofia wrinkled her face. "What do you mean "private"?" she asked gropingly. Leonel sighed. He opened his eyes and looked at the ceiling of his room. "They had an affair." He had no choice but to blurt it out. Sofia's mouth fell open. She couldn't speak for several seconds. The teacher had no idea of the rest of the things hidden behind that triggering information. Leonel would not tell her about the agent's past addictions, precisely acquired during the times of strong love affairs with Tama
Leonel stopped already inside his room and looked at him. Loman continued: "Miss Sullivan has been calling you, sir, she needs to talk to you. That last thing she didn't tell me, but it's something I noticed. And she doesn't seem to be well. Raymond's visit turned out to be more than just a surprise. Will you wait until she gets to San Juan so she can comfort her? I dare say it's just as soon as she needs you two to talk about it." Leonel had to calm down. He ran his hand over his head, swept his face with his palm, and exhaled, then picked up his cell phone and dialed the teacher. Frank spared a sigh of momentary relief and stepped back to give his boss privacy. Sophia was still dressed as she had been at dinner, though barefoot, sitting on the bed, thinking about everything that had happened. Her son was still asleep, Liliana went to rest, and Dolores was already in the guest room, so Sofia took advantage of that solitude to channel things well. The phone rang, it was Leonel.
Leonel stopped breathing for a moment and clenched his teeth, too. He closed his eyes, clenched hard, and opened them before speaking. "Since when?" "A while ago? She contacted me." "Purpose." "To get rid of her husband." The businessman's eyebrows furrowed."Be specific. What are we talking about?" Leonel heard him sigh. "She wants him in jail or dead. She doesn't give a damn either way." Leonel quickly analyzed the situation. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that Frank got up after receiving a call. But he couldn't be aware of him right now. "It's obvious that if she contacted you, it's because she wants him imprisoned, rather than dead. Unless she wants you..." "When Sofia returned to Albany, the day I gave her a ride to the hotel, I sent Tamara an image of that place, of the hotel where Sofia was staying. I wanted to tell Tamara that this woman was here, that her husband had an unrecognized child and Sofia would be the beginning of the end for their marriage."
Leonel was no longer in his bed, he moved to his living room. Leaning back on the three-seater seat, wearing a white flannel and pajama pants, still wearing his sling, he had the big TV screen on watching the entertainment channel, where he watched the red carpet of the big celebration, the birthday of Cliff's "princess" Green, as he had named her several years ago. Frank accompanied him and monitored his boss's informants through his cell phone, people who would be present at the party and who would shed information on everything that was going on or at least, on any irregularities that would point to Leonel. The businessman wanted to handle the situation in a jocular way. He sent out for pizzas, even though the doctor ordered him to eat lightly. He longed to see Gael's face all beaten up, to find out in the front row what he had to tell the press when one of them asked him what the hell had happened to him, while he ate, in the tranquility of his home and his refuge, a succulent