Episode 17

LEILA

It's been two weeks since we arrived in New York, and I'm thinking about running away from my husband because he won't let me sleep in peace, but I need his protection and that's the price to pay. Over these two weeks, the share prices of Villareal Enterprises have dropped, but not enough. They'll soon hit the level I need to buy them out. I'll own their empire and I'll dethrone them, the last to fall will be my brother. He feels secure with his engagement to that poor girl, another fool like Mrs. Villareal. Leo is cheating with her best friend and she hasn't realized it, but I will help her see when the time comes. If Leo thinks marrying her will ensure his future, he's dead wrong, because I'll never let him off scot-free, even if it means her family must fall too.

"Madam, the master asked me to give you this," Igor, Alek's assistant, said.

I opened the envelope and couldn't believe what I saw. He found them. He found the children of Arthur Villareal's father's mistress, which means the half-siblings of that man.

"The driver and guards are waiting on your orders," Igor added.

"I'll change and then we'll leave." I went up to the room, changed, grabbed my purse, and stowed a hat and dark glasses inside. I didn't want to be recognized by chance and have Mr. Villareal learn I am here, so that's what I'll use when stepping out of the car.

"I'm ready," I announced to Igor, who escorted me to the black van with a chauffeur, and four motorcycles follow us; they're bodyguards. It seems excessive, but I won't argue with Alek.

During the ride, I read the information about Natalie Martin, the mistress of Mr. Antonio Villareal. They had twin sons, Nestor and Antoni. Mr. Antonio's wife made their lives hell, forcing them out of New York, but according to this report, the woman hid with the boys in the most forsaken parts of the country to avoid the Villareals' grip. They suffered greatly on the streets, and even now they live in a wooden shack on a vacant lot in abject poverty. After two hours, we arrived to see several wooden shacks in total squalor.

"Is this the house, Madam? Do you want me to come with you?" asked the driver.

"No, I'll enter alone, but stay outside just in case." I stepped out of the van and approached the small wooden house. A man about thirty, presumably the Villareal half-brother, answered the door.

"Whom are you looking for here?" he asked seriously. I recognized that look – it was filled with hate and resentment.

"I'm looking for Mrs. Natalie Martin," I replied nervously.

"My mother, what for?" he inquired.

"I want us to seek justice together. I want your mother, your brother and you to help me destroy the Villareals," I said confidently, and his gaze showed interest.

"Come in," He allowed me entry, and though everything was humble, it was very clean.

"I'd offer you a drink, but we have nothing. My brother's out trying to get food for our sick mother, so when he returns, try not to distress her too much. I'm Antoni, by the way." He vanished behind a curtain, so I stepped outside momentarily and asked the driver to send one of the guards for ready-to-eat food and beverages, then went back inside to wait on an old sofa.

When Antoni returned, he was pushing an old wheelchair with a woman who appeared to be in her fifties or sixties. She looked at me intently, surely recognizing the family resemblance.

"What are you to Antonio Villareal?" she asked with a hoarse voice.

"Sentimentally, nothing," I answered.

"And genetically?" she probed.

"His granddaughter," I spat out disdainfully, for to me they are nothing.

"So little Arthur is just like his father. They say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree," she remarked.

"I want to end them, and for that, I need your help," I stated.

"How could we help you? We don't even have food," Antoni questioned.

"That's irrelevant. I have the support of someone powerful, and I can use a lot of money. I just need your cooperation for revenge. I'll cover all the costs, take you somewhere that man will never find you, and hide you until it's time for the Villareals to pay. You won't be harmed," I assured.

"You're just a girl. How do we know you’re telling the truth?" the mother challenged.

"My husband is Alek Romanov, known to all here in New York. With him, no one trifles," I replied.

"Why do you want to destroy them?" Natalie asked.

"They owe me. Arthur Villareal killed my mother, locked me away because of him, and believed expelling me from the country would be his salvation, but he was wrong. He betrayed me, but now I'm back to make them rue their fortune and watch them suffer. All I need is your agreement," I explained.

"In your eyes, I see sincerity. Let's wait for my son, and in the meantime, explain how you want our assistance."

I laid out my plan clearly: to take over Villareal Enterprises by buying the majority of their shares when the price drops sufficiently. Initially, they would be the public faces of the company, when in fact, I would be the owner. They'd just follow my orders. I knew the Villareals would react ruthlessly once they appeared, but Alek would assist with his business acumen and security knowledge. I'm resigned to losing sleep over this, and will now take afternoon naps when he's not around.

"So, will you help me?" I inquired.

"I’m willing, but we have to wait for my brother," Antoni chimed in.

The door rang; it was one of the guards with abundant food and drinks.

"Let's eat while waiting," I suggested, and their faces lit up like mine did when Katya once smuggled chocolate for me. The difference was I always had stale bread and oatmeal assured; they didn't.

Nestor arrived looking beaten down, but his astonishment grew upon seeing food on the table.

"What's all this? Where did it come from?" Nestor asked.

"Take a seat, eat, and we'll fill you in," Antoni responded, and without hesitation, Nestor devoured the food. How the Villareals could condemn them like this was beyond me. If they didn't want children, they should have been cautious, but to doom them to poverty for a sin they didn't commit was cruel.

Once Nestor was updated, he agreed to the plan. I needed to call my husband to find a house and security for them and to arrange for Antoni and Nestor's business education.

"What do I owe the honor of my wife’s call?" I would throttle him; he knows what I want, but he seeks to impose his terms. If I didn't need him, I'd kill him.

"I need a safe house for Natalie and her sons, and security. Teach them how to run a company," I replied.

"You know the cost of that," he said opportunistically.

"No, but I suspect, and I am willing to pay the debt," I answered.

"Fine. This weekend, I want you all to myself. We'll go to a seaside house I own. Don't worry about them; Igor has everything you need. He will transport them to their new home and hire tutors for their business education. Their mother will receive top medical care, guarded by a security team. Anything else, my wife?" His predatory tone was unmistakable.

"Yes, that my husband stops being so exploitative," I retorted, though I asked for too much.

"Ha, prepare for the weekend. You won't need clothes, nor any rest," he hung up, and I seriously considered the idea of becoming a widow soon unless he kills me first.

After speaking with Natalie and her sons, Igor arrived and took them away. I would see them later; there were still shares to lower before buying them and making the Villareals desperate enough to sell the majority to me, the eventual major shareholder.

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