Chapter 42 - The Debt of Survival
Alejandro poured two glasses of scotch, ignoring the morning hour. He handed one to Elena, his eyes heavy with a guilt he had hidden for years.
"When Beatriz exiled me to the slums, I didn't survive by playing by the rules," Alejandro began, pacing the length of the study. "I built my logistics empire from the ground up, but to get the initial capital, I had to borrow from a man named Vargas."
"Who is Vargas?"
Elena asked, gripping her glass tightly.
"A cartel boss. He controls the southern ports," Alejandro explained. "I paid him back ten times over before I left for America to reclaim my birthright. But men like Vargas don't believe debts are ever truly settled."
Alejandro picked up the obsidian coin, the dark surface reflecting the sunlight.
"Now that I control the Valdés shipping fleet—the largest legitimate maritime operation in the country—he wants access. He wants to use our ships to move his product."
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"You can't let him," Elena said firmly.
"I won't," Alejandro replied, dropping the coin into the trash. "But Vargas doesn't take no for an answer. The coin means he is no longer asking. He is demanding."
