C5 More...

“Here are the plans for Tejares Del Lago, the copy of its license, and the feasibility studies according to the amount...” he said with a piercing gaze as the other party cautiously examined the documents. “So, I suppose everything is in order. I just need your authorization to send this to the attorney general.”

“And the water system permit?” Dalia, without taking her eyes off the documents, asked the question.

The question caught him by surprise, and his expression reflected his confusion.

“It should be here.”

“I don’t see it, no... The other two permits are here, but I can’t find that one in particular.”

“Ma'am, if you'll allow me, I'll look for it,” he asked, and Dalia handed him the documents while he began searching diligently.

“But... We didn’t have this document today, did we?”

“Well, ma'am, I called and they told me it was already available,” he responded without stopping his search.

“Of course... It was ready, but did you send someone to pick it up?” she asked, and his silence was a resounding answer. “Justin, I can’t afford to meet with Holguín. I don’t know if you understand the importance of that client and the need to convince him to invest in this project. Also, we still need to complete the construction license procedures.”

“Ma'am, I did all this following my usual routine.”

“You didn’t do it as usual. If you had, we’d have all the permits here, wouldn’t we?” she asked, and he, staring at his cup of coffee, remained silent. “Who did you send?” she asked minutes later.

“... Cristina or Luis…”

“You don’t remember,” she deduced from his hesitation. “Let’s resolve this today, agreed?”

“Yes, yes, ma'am,” he responded, taking the documents in his hands.

“Thank you,” she finally said before watching him leave her office.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

**HIDDLESTON CONSTRUCTORES**

Meanwhile, in the shadows that loomed over the building, a being with emerald eyes watched the facade intently, his green gaze brimming with calculated certainty. The presence of the name at the entrance filled him with the conviction that everything was about to begin. Without hesitation, he took a deep breath and crossed the threshold as the guard opened the building’s imposing door.

Everything, absolutely everything, was about to start...

----------------------------------------------------------------------

“Come on...” Behind his immaculate desk, Justin struggled to maintain his composure while speaking on the phone. “Cristina, my dear, I don’t care. Drop what you’re doing and go fetch that permit right now.” His brow furrowed in irritation. “What do you mean it's delayed?” he almost shouted. “Look, I need that permit here. Mrs. Dalia has to sign it.” Before Dalia could leave the office, Justin abruptly ended the call.

“Any news? I don’t have all day to wait for that permit.”

“I... Yes, ma’am. Cristina is on her way with the permit,” Justin replied quickly.

“Good, then I’ll wait and thank you,” she said with a small smile before diving back into her office.

Justin let out the breath he had been holding once Dalia was no longer in front of him. With some brusqueness, he set the phone down on his desk and simply waited for Cristina’s imminent arrival.

On the other side, inside the elevator heading to the fourth floor, he pondered, eager to achieve his goal for the day. He had it all clear: it was an unbreakable perfection, and nothing and no one could divert his determination.

Dalia Hiddleston was going to face the consequences of her actions, just as my father did. She would prefer self-destruction over stepping away from my side. And nothing and no one would save her...

Suddenly, his thoughts and smile were abruptly interrupted when someone from outside the elevator, just before the iron doors closed, inserted their right hand to prevent them from closing and to gain entry.

He was startled to realize that the person entering was a brunette woman. They shared an awkward silence for a moment, as she gave him a piercing glance before checking her wristwatch. Clearly, she was running late.

The woman positioned herself at the back of the elevator, arms crossed, stopping her gaze at her watch. Silence settled once more, but it didn’t last long. She finally broke the silence with a question:

“Are you a Hiddleston client?”

“No,” he replied calmly.

“Perhaps you’re a supplier?”

“Not even that.”

She leaned against the wall of the elevator, staring at him intently.

“Then, can you tell me what the hell you’re doing here?” she asked with a hint of sarcasm.

At her question, the man with skin as pale as clouds turned slightly and replied with a gruff, direct voice.

“Why do you care?”

“Alright, alright. I just wanted to chat, nothing more.”

“Well, I’m not in the mood to chat,” he looked at her again. “And stop with that tombstone smile; it won’t do you any good with me.”

She let out a contained laugh at his comment, a laugh that seemed like a subtle whisper.

Silence reigned again in the small space of the elevator. The woman, without further ado, used the moment to observe the man with skin as white as midday clouds. When the elevator doors opened once more on the next floor, he exited first, exploring the long hallway and the rustic atmosphere surrounding it. Meanwhile, the woman who had been watching him couldn’t help but maintain her curiosity. She smiled to herself until she finally stopped observing him as he headed toward his destination, which turned out to be very different from the man with white hair.