Chapter 13 - WHAT MONEY COULDN'T BUY
Sebastián was charged with arson conspiracy, attempted destruction of evidence, fraud, and several related offenses.
Esteban received a reduced sentence for cooperating.
The development deal collapsed.
The trust was upheld.
El Nogal belonged to Mateo and Tomás.
Rodrigo could have celebrated.
Instead, he spent the next months rebuilding.
The barn went up first.
Then the damaged kitchen.
But something else was being rebuilt too.
Mateo laughed more.
Tomás spoke louder.
Valentina stopped keeping her suitcase packed beneath the bed.
And Rodrigo learned how to come home before dark.
One Sunday morning, Valentina found an envelope beside her coffee.
Inside was a deed.
She stared at it.
“What is this?”
Rodrigo looked suddenly nervous.
“A house.”
“I can see that.”
A small house sat on twelve acres bordering El Nogal.
Rodrigo had purchased it in Valentina's name.
She looked at him.
“Why?”
“So you never have to stay because you have nowhere else to go.”
Valentina couldn't speak.
Rodrigo continued.
“If you stay here, I want it to be because you choose us.”
Tears filled her eyes.
“You bought me a house so I could leave you?”
“Apparently I'm terrible at romance.”
She laughed through her tears.
Mateo walked into the kitchen.
“What happened?”
“Your father is an idiot.”
Mateo nodded.
“I know.”
Rodrigo threw a towel at him.
For several minutes, the kitchen filled with laughter.
Then Valentina folded the deed.
She placed it safely in a drawer.
She never moved into the house.
May you like
But knowing she could changed everything.
Because for the first time in her life, staying was entirely her choice.
