“She’s my daughter.”
I knew this. Something whispered the truth to me the first moment I saw them together. I just knew. I thought it several times when we’ve been together. So, I shouldn’t feel the wave of astonishment and, on some level, disappointment coiling through me.
“Oh,” I breathe out.
“I can imagine what you must think, but it’s not that. I met my brother’s wife—fiancée at the time—while he was working in Argentina. She knew we were brothers, but I didn’t know she even knew my brother.”
“Oh my God.” I can’t imagine anybody being so vile to want to come between brothers in such a way.
“She was the first woman to make me open my heart in years, and she tricked me. She played me, hoping I would marry her instead of my brother. She just wanted my money. When everything blew up and I learned the truth, I couldn’t tell my brother because he was in love with her. She knew she was pregnant before they got married and tried to hide the baby from me, but I found out that truth, too. Mia was only with them for two weeks before they were killed. I would have taken her in anyway, but she was mine to take.”
I nod, agreeing with him.
“I’m so sorry.”
“It gets worse. I need to keep her safe from certain people who will want to hurt her.”
A chill races down my spine and scatters throughout my body. “Hurt?”
“Yes.” He picks up a folder and hands it to me.
It feels heavy. “What’s in here?”
“Legal paperwork. Do you remember that company I told you about?”
“Yes.”
“Mia is part owner of that company. In light of the way her mother and my brother died, I took certain measures to provide extra protection for her. I also make sure she was taken care of if anything happened to me. So, I gave her my share of the company under an irrevocable living trust.”
“An irrevocable living trust? What does that do?”
“Provide solid protection in transferring an asset to another. It can’t be revoked. She gets all I own when she turns eighteen. But more importantly, she’s protected until then. I’ve set things up to be sure that even if someone tried to revoke the trust or do something to her, it would backfire in ways they wouldn’t be able to imagine.”
Oh my God. This is key information. Information Thiago would want to know.
It’s information that means El Diablo can’t simply take everything from Alejandro.
My heart speeds up.
“So, she owns the company?” I choke out.
“Not just that company. Everything else that belongs to me on my death. What I want to ask you is this: there’s an address of my lawyers in that envelope. If anything does happen to me, will you take her to them?”
I stare at him, my heart beating so fast I can’t calm down.
“What’s happening, Alejandro?”
“This is a precaution, Lucia. I’m at a point where I’m stuck, and I can’t let anything happen to my baby girl. You don’t have to do anything after you hand her to the lawyers or … be her nanny anymore. I just need you to get her there. Can you do that for me?”
I nod and try not to stall because it’s a simple request.
“Yes. I can. Please be careful.”
“I’ll try. Come here.”
I stand, and I kiss him when he lowers his lips to mine.
“I’m glad I met you, Lucia. I wish… well, I’m just glad I met you.”