Page 3 of Ruthless Rival

The only thing I was interested in was under the dresser. I crouched down and reached beneath it, feeling around on the floor with my fingertips until I found what I was looking for. I pulled out a wallet-size photo of Alex and me on the beach where he died.

I sank down on the bed, gazing down at the photo with burning eyes. However, instead of crying from sadness like I used to, tears formed out of anger. My father treated me like a puppet, but I was about to cut the strings.

He took away my partner, my children, my life, and my dignity. In turn, I intended to take everything away from him. He would feel the pain I felt ten-fold, as my plan was finally about to be put in action.

It was time for a wedding to remember.

After the wedding…

I couldn’t help but feel victorious. Over and over again, I replayed the look Alberto Mancini had given me at his son’s wedding. He seemed entranced by me, falling right into the trap I set for him.

At least hanging on the old governor’s arm turned out to be worth it in the end. It became obvious the governor was entranced by me as well. He wouldn’t stop calling me to ask me out. I was starting to run out of excuses to keep him at bay. Eventually, I would have to put him in his place, but I also didn’t want to lose him as a connection.

I placed my hands on my hips and took in a breath. I intended to get what I wanted. All of my life I’d been told what I wanted by my father. Now, I got to decide. In fact, it was about time for me to check in on what my father and his posse of criminals was up to, so I called Ignacio.

“Hello, prima,” Ignacio answered.

“We need to meet soon to talk,” I told him as I walked to the foyer of the large house, hearing the click of my white heels against the tile.

“I’m sure you heard about the fire at the Mancinis’ plantation,” Ignacio said.

I scoffed and shook my head. “That has my father’s name written all over it. What a low blow to try to destroy a family home,” I muttered. My father disgusted me constantly. He always went for the lowest means of vengeance.

Ignacio sighed over the phone. “Your father was very convincing to the others. He insisted it was the best thing to do.”

“By others, you mean Miguel and Juan,” I said. They were two of my father’s nephews who were annoying hotheads. If there was a chance to fight or for destruction, they wanted to be involved. They were poisoned by power.

“Luis wasn’t happy about it, but who’s going to tell your father no but you?” Ignacio pointed out.

I frowned as I lingered near the front door. He wasn’t wrong. Luis was another one of my father’s nephews, but he actually had a heart. He could be a decent man, but he wouldn’t deny my father anything. Everyone else was too afraid to. I told Ignacio to behave so that I could get information out of him.

The only person who was willing to defy my father was me. I had a score to settle. “Any news about Carlos?” I asked him. Not too long after the wedding, my brother Carlos and a few other cartel members tried to kidnap Alessia Mancini. Two cartel members were shot, and Carlos drove into a tree trying to escape. He hit his head and had to be taken to the hospital, but I hadn’t heard anything more about it.

“He’s still in a coma. It’s not looking all that great,” Ignacio explained.

I closed my eyes and clenched my teeth, shaking my head. I loved Carlos deeply, but I hated his blind devotion to my father. I felt so disappointed in him, but I worried about him too. My eyes burned, but I blinked away the sensation, refusing to cry over anyone anymore. “Alright, I want to visit Carlos. Let me know when they aren’t in the hospital room, will you? Text me and I will come right away. I really need to see him for myself.”

Ignacio paused. “Prima, he looks bad. I mean the shock of it will be much to deal with.”

“I am aware and thank you for the support you have always given me. But he is my brother.”

“Very well, Gabriela.” He sighed over the phone.

“Just keep me in the loop. I want to know before my father does anything else crazy,” I told Ignacio, bidding him goodbye before hanging up the phone.

Chapter Two:Moving Forward

Alberto

A week after the wedding…

The smell of smoke still lingered in the air as I stood outside of my plantation house in Cutover. My jaw tensed as I watched a team of gardeners, builders, and other contractors work on the exterior of the estate and the grounds. There weren’t many trees left for them to salvage and fix up, but there was quite a bit of damage around the property and some on the exterior of our home.

My children could reduce this property to just a house, but this was a sacred place for me. It was where I spent time with my family, where I hosted our dinners. There were memories here that I never wanted to lose.

Perhaps, I was being too emotional, but that didn’t change the fact that the Castillos crossed a line by going after this place, especially during my youngest son’s wedding. It disgusted me, but I shouldn't have expected anything less from Santiago and his band of goons.

“I want all of the burn marks covered up or scrubbed away,” I told the contractors. I didn’t want any reminders of what happened, but I wouldn’t ever forget this. I checked my watch, seeing that it was almost one o’clock. Soon, my sons would arrive for a brief business meeting. Despite the fire, we still had to move forward. We had important decisions to make.

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