Chapter 13 - Vanessa Comes Back
Vanessa returned three days later.
She did not come alone.
Her attorney accompanied her.
So did two members of the press who waited outside the gates.
Roberto watched the security feed.
“She brought cameras.”
Ethan nodded.
“She wants confrontation footage.”
Roberto gave Daniel instructions.
“No raised voices.”
“No physical contact.”
“Record everything.”
Vanessa was allowed into the front sitting room.
She looked exhausted but carefully dressed.
Her attorney opened the conversation.
“Ms. Laurent is here to retrieve personal belongings.”
“They’re packed.”
Daniel pointed toward six sealed suitcases.
Vanessa stared at them.
“You packed my things?”
“The staff did.”
“Which staff?”
Roberto did not answer.
She looked toward the staircase.
“I want to say goodbye to Sofía.”
“No.”
Her face tightened.
“You can’t prevent me from speaking to her.”
“Yes, I can.”
“I helped raise her for four years.”
“You frightened her for months.”
“That is your interpretation.”
Roberto placed a small recorder on the table.
“Would you like to hear yours?”
Vanessa went silent.
He played the clip.
Her own voice filled the room.
Your father has an empire to run.
He doesn’t have time to hear about every little problem.
Vanessa’s attorney immediately raised a hand.
“Turn that off.”
Roberto did.
Vanessa stared at the floor.
Then she looked up.
“She needed discipline.”
Her attorney whispered something.
Vanessa ignored him.
“You were never here.”
Roberto nodded.
“That part is true.”
Everyone seemed surprised.
“I worked too much.”
“I trusted too easily.”
“I believed that providing everything meant I was protecting her.”
Vanessa’s eyes softened slightly.
Then Roberto finished.
“Those were my failures.”
“What you did with those failures was your choice.”
Vanessa’s expression hardened again.
“You think María is some saint?”
“No.”
“She inserted herself into everything.”
“She protected my daughter.”
“She wants your money.”
“Then she has been remarkably inefficient.”
Vanessa stared.
“She has worked here twelve years and never asked me for anything.”
Her attorney stood.
“This conversation is no longer productive.”
Vanessa did not move.
She looked at Roberto.
“You loved me.”
He answered after a moment.
“I loved who I thought you were.”
That sentence hurt her more than anger could have.
Vanessa’s eyes filled.
For one second, Roberto almost saw the woman he had believed in.
Then she whispered.
“When this becomes public, you will regret humiliating me.”
Roberto shook his head.
“This became public when you invited cameras to my gate.”
Her expression darkened.
She picked up her purse.
Before leaving, she leaned closer.
“You think five minutes makes you a good father?”
Roberto’s face did not change.
“No.”
May you like
He looked toward the staircase.
“But they were enough to wake one up.”
