Page 74 of More than Paper

“That’s not why I came.”

“No?” Her eyes widen, and my heart rate picks up.

Great. There is something else.

“If you can’t tell, I’m getting older.”

“You do have all gray hair now,” she teases him.

He focuses a hard look on me. “My only legitimate child is Valeria.”

Yes, I know you screwed lots of women, and Valeria is the only child from your actual marriage. You don’t need to remind me.I learned of Valeria’s half-siblings when they were paraded around at the wedding, and on visits we used to have to make. I always felt bad for her mother, who had to sit through it all.

“Why are you bringing this up, Padre?” Valeria snaps.

Alejandro sits back. “Watch your tone.”

I squeeze her thigh under the table, and she takes another deep breath. “Yes, Padre. Sorry for my outburst.”

Over the years, Valeria and I have learned that the calmer we stay with Alejandro, the quicker and easier our visits can be. My job has been to keep her calm. Her role is to lead the conversation forward so we can get it over with as soon as possible and resume our normal lives.

“As my only legitimate child,” he continues, pointing to her, “you should have the right to take over my fortune.”

Take over his fortune?

“But only if your husband is running the operation.”

I gape at him and remind myself to close my mouth.Run the operation? Oh, hell no.

“Alejandro, that’s very kind of you to offer, but I have my own business to run and know nothing about yours.”

“Yes, I can see that. You’ve done well with the little resources you had to create your fortune. You have the smarts to expand my operation.”

It’s the first compliment the man has ever paid me, and my gut is flipping with nausea.Expand his operation? No, no, no!

“Padre, Jamison and I want no part of your business. We have our own life in America. I told you, we are never moving to Colombia.”

“Yes, well, I’ve decided it would be smart to have operations run from America instead of Colombia. He can fly back and forth.”

I gulp. My mouth goes dry. “Alejandro, that is a very nice offer, but I’m going to pass.”

He slams his hands on the table. “You pass on my fortune. My daughter’s legal inheritance?”

Oh shit.

“Padre, I do not want nor need your inheritance. Jamison is not one of your men. He is not cut from that cloth. You do not need to involve us in this. Santiago has been your right hand for years. He is qualified to take over and wants to. Let him.”

Alejandro’s face contorts. His voice lowers. “It is not his legitimate right. It is your legitimate right. I promised your mother I would never take that from you.”

He actually made a promise to the woman he wants to keep. That’s surprising.

“I will talk to Mama, then. We are not taking over the business,” Valeria adamantly states, her face red with anger.

“What I built is not good enough for you? All the years I paid for you to go to school here and your expenses? It was good enough then but not now?”

“No offense, sir, but Valeria was a child. We haven’t taken any money since we got married.”

He slams his hand down on the table again. “Yes. I know that. That is why I’ve determined that you are capable of taking over.”

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