C4 Close....

The scene was divided into two parts. In the first, “the one with emerald eyes” sat naked in his room, combing his white hair back, which was the same color as the walls of his room. He had a thoughtful, calculating expression, as if he was scheming something, which was characteristic of what usually occupied his mind. On the other side, in the corner where the altar was located, Pepper lay on the floor next to a long yellowed sheet with written prayers and, most notably, garlic. She threw the garlic onto the paper and then made the sign of the cross, following her ritual. The scenes interwove; at one moment, we returned to the naked snowy-haired figure, and in the next, we were back with Pepper, who, after her prayers, felt a sudden cold, and the wind entered uninvited through the altar's windows.

The abrupt intrusion of the wind alarmed Pepper.

“Thomas…” she whispered and, as if moved by a sudden impulse, ran from where she was and went straight to the emerald-eyed figure’s room. “Thomas…” she called again, her voice filled with agitation.

“Stop making so much noise; you might wake the neighbors, Pepper.”

“What are you involved in, Thomas?”

“In nothing that concerns you.”

“The barracudas don’t lie. They say you’re going to bring disaster to this house.”

“You’re delirious, Pepper.”

“I’m not crazy,” she muttered under her breath. “Tell me the truth. What are you involved in?”

Thomas stopped combing his hair and replied calmly:

“I have nothing to say because nothing is happening.” He got up and approached her. “If you keep this up, I’ll send you to a nursing home.”

“Dare you, young man, dare you,” she challenged, and he let out a slight laugh.

“You know I’m capable, so don’t provoke me.” He warned her before leaving the room without saying more.

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He left his house dressed in an elegance that exuded sophistication. His look, achieved with the meager savings he had, made him, above all, a true Londoner. At that moment, he felt like a role model, at least in terms of his style as he headed to the company. He wore a wool or tweed coat, plain and a deep dark brown color, made from high-quality cashmere. Generally, such attire consisted of three pieces, with a vest of the same fabric standing out, which he also wore at that moment. This vest fit perfectly to his torso, revealing his slim and toned figure.

Under the vest, he wore a short-collar white shirt, slightly rounded, a style known as a “club collar.” This shirt perfectly matched the slightly loose pants of the same fabric. Completing his outfit, he wore black dress boots that enhanced his elegance. His hair was combed back, giving him a dazzling appearance, as well as the natural shine emanating from his crimson lips.

He walked confidently down the sidewalk of the bustling city center, surrounded by the clamor of taxis and buses. However, inside, his thoughts flowed endlessly.

“I’m not nervous. Rather, I feel anxious. Anxious to make Dalia Hiddleston regret everything she’s done. She’ll go crazy over me; she won’t be able to think of anyone or anything but me, only me.”

As he was on the city subway, immersed in his reflections, he uttered a statement with the firmness of a bullet destined to pierce the heart and fulfill it without a doubt: “I’ll take care of that…”

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“Look, Mom, I’m not in the mood for one of your lectures right now, so please spare me.” Entering her mother’s office on the third floor, the brunette declared as she approached her. Her mother was sitting in a black swivel chair behind a cedar wood desk, sipping coffee, and spoke.

“Well, what’s wrong? I just…”

“No, Mom, Jess and I are looking for new sponsorship.”

“Are you listening to me?” her mother asked. “Calm down, I’m not going to give you a lecture. On the other hand, I already knew about the sponsorship.”

“Oh, really?” she asked, resting her hands on the desk.

“Yes.”

“Interesting... And when did you start knowing about my life or what?”

“I’ve always been interested in your life, whether you believe it or find it amusing.”

“No, it’s not amusing, it’s... surprising, more than anything.” She corrected, and there was a silence between them as her mother looked at her with a furrowed brow.

The silence was broken when the woman, with lapis lazuli eyes and a very similar appearance to her daughter, but a bit older and with gray hair, removed her gold-rimmed glasses abruptly and said:

“Sometimes I don’t agree with what you do, that happens…”

“Ah, I see, the lecture is coming, wasn’t it about time?” She turned and walked a little towards the back of the office, listening to her mother’s voice.

“It’s not a lecture.” The woman got up from her chair and followed her out onto the office balcony. “Do you think this is a lecture? I just want to know what you have planned for your life; is that a lecture?”

“Look, Mom, I know this situation is a bit unusual; it’s been a while since we were all together, but this is temporary. And that doesn’t give you the right to control me as if I were 15 years old.”

“I’m not controlling you; I have no interest in controlling you at all. My concern is that you make serious decisions.” She clarified, and the brunette fell silent, observing the green view in front of her for a few seconds. “How long has it been since you got your diploma? How long since you graduated? You haven’t looked for an apartment, all because you’re focused on…”

“A motorcycle, Mom.”

“Yes, a motorcycle. What should I do in this case? It’s not that I disdain what you like, what excites you. But, frankly, I don’t see a future for you on a motorcycle.”

“But who will see a future for me, Mom, with this group of incompetents I have as a team, for God’s sake?”

“Alright, alright.” She laughed briefly. “Fine, let’s blame the team today; tomorrow you can blame whoever you want, even yourself, or the gasoline that doesn’t work...” She sighed. “Katherina, what I want you to understand is that you have a company that’s yours, offering you opportunities, and you’re wasting time…”

The brunette looked at her mother with a frown and said:

“Let’s see… Mom, in that company, in your company, I would be seen as the owner’s daughter. A VIP employee. Who will care about what I can do?”

Her mother responded with another question.

“Isn’t it that you haven’t shown what you can do yet?”

There was a silence between them as they looked at each other until the brunette spoke again.

“So, what you want is to put me to the test, is that it?”

“Well... That’s what people do when they work, you know? If you want to prove that you can achieve great things, that would be a good starting point.”

“Perfect… Then give me Tejares Del Lago.”

Her mother’s face changed dramatically.

“Do you know what Tejares Del Lago is? I handle that project directly with Castellano.”

“Uh… With Castellano, sure... Why do you work so hard, Mom? Yes, we both know you don’t trust me, so?”

“Katherina, you’re asking me to hand over the most important project at the moment.”

“Yes… And yes… So, what’s your fear, Mom? That I won’t measure up or what?”

Her mother’s face darkened, and if it weren’t for hearing the patriarch of the house, she would have told her what crossed her mind in response to her arrogance.

“Harrison and Jess are waiting for you downstairs…”

“Fine...” said the brunette, patting her mother’s arm with a brief smile on her face. Then, without further ado, she headed towards the office door. However, before reaching the door...

“It’s yours,” her mother spoke, and she turned to look at her. “Tejares Del Lago is yours. Do you want to prove that you’re willing to do great things, that you want a place in the company? Fine, take it. Handle that project.”

The brunette looked at her mother with joy in her eyes and approached her father, giving him a kiss on the cheek before leaving the office with these words:

“I’ll see you downstairs.”

“Have I completely lost my mind, did you hear?” The woman spoke once her daughter was gone, and her husband approached, gently caressing her cheek.

“No, not at all, dear. You’re just giving her a chance; you know she’s capable.”

“Yes, I know she’s capable. What I don’t know is if she’s committed…”

“Dalia...” The man shook his head, and his wife looked at him with a smile. They shared a knowing glance and kissed each other on the cheek.

“Let’s go join the others, shall we?”

“Of course, let’s go join the others.”

With that, they left the balcony and descended to the first floor.

Katherina didn’t know it, but soon, along with her mother, her destiny would change..... because of a certain young man with emerald eyes.