“You’re right,” he admitted, his voice cracking for the first time. “I was a blind fool. But I’ve changed—or at least, I want to believe I have. I don’t want to buy her, Aurora. I don’t want to upend her life. I just… God, I just want to know her. To know this incredible woman you’ve raised.”
Aurora studied him for an eternity, searching for any trace of deceit. Finally, she sighed. “Estela is smart. Sooner or later she’ll connect the dots, if she hasn’t already after seeing you today.”
“Let me speak to her. Whenever you say. However you say.”
“Give me time,” she stated. “Not today. Today is her day, not yours. Don’t ruin this.”
“You have my word.”
The Meeting
The following days were slow torture for Eduardo. The business deals and investors seemed ridiculous now—child’s play compared to the anxiety of waiting for that call. Finally, the meeting was set: a Sunday at a discreet cafe near El Retiro Park.
Eduardo arrived thirty minutes early. In his pocket was a small object wrapped in velvet. When he saw Estela walk in, wearing jeans and a white blouse, he felt a terror he had never experienced in any boardroom. She walked straight to him with a determination she had, ironically, inherited from him.
“Hello,” she said, not yet sitting.
“Hello, Estela.” Eduardo stood up. He wanted to hug her, but he held back. “Thank you for coming.”
They sat. Estela didn’t order anything. She looked at him with a scientific curiosity, analyzing every trait. “My mother told me everything,” she said without preamble. “That you didn’t know. That she chose to protect herself.”
“Your mother is a brave woman. She did what she thought was best. The fault for not being a man she could trust lies solely with me.”
His honesty seemed to disarm her. “Why now?” she asked. “You’re rich, famous. You don’t need this.”
“I have money, Estela. But I am poor in everything else. When I saw you on that stage, speaking with such passion… I realized I’ve spent my life accumulating things that won’t hold my hand when I die. I’m not looking for an heir. I’m not looking to clear my conscience. I’m just looking for…” his eyes grew wet, “the chance to know the person who carries my blood and who is infinitely better than I am.”