“My love,” he murmured softly, almost embarrassed by the emotion rising in his throat. “We will finally be together.”
Lupita was there before the money. Before the risks paid off. When his plans were just scribbles on napkins and the rent was always late. She believed in him when her trust was all he had to offer. She never demanded luxury, never required proof of success.
That is why, when the money arrived, he trusted his judgment completely.
And this trust extended to the family.
During her time abroad, Lupita had insisted that managing the family budget would be easier if her mother, Doña Pura, and her older sister, Celia, helped her. They were “more experienced,” they said. “More pragmatic.” Lupita herself admitted that she didn’t like numbers and contracts.
Damián hadn’t protested. Family is family. And Lupita seemed relieved.
As the SUV turned onto the private road leading to the ranch, Damián frowned.
The wrought-iron gate, freshly painted black, gleamed, its gold initials looking brand new. Two gleaming, raised pickup trucks with an aggressive look were parked near the entrance. And next to them, recognizable even from afar, a luxurious sports car reflected the sun like a jewel.
His grip on the door handle tightened slightly.
This did not exist before.
The music resonated through the open windows – loud, uncompromising norteño, shaking the walls as if the ranch itself were hosting a festival.
“A party?” he murmured.
The new security guard stared at him suspiciously, his hand hovering near his walkie-talkie. Damián didn’t recognize him. That alone made him uneasy. After a brief phone call and an awkward silence, the gate finally opened.
The SUV moved forward.
Damián left.
The front doors were wide open, and what greeted him was not the quiet home he remembered, but a spectacle.
Long banquet tables stretched across the courtyard, laden with barbacoa, carnitas, platters of seafood, imported steaks, and desserts piled high like at a wedding reception. Bottles of premium tequila sat alongside open cases of foreign wines. Laughter rang out, joyful and boisterous.
