Chapter 86 Àlvaro's Pov.
The moment I left the room and Vincenzo was out of my sight, I stopped for a second, trying to connect everything to make it make sense but the more I tried, the more fucked up it sounds.
I didn't even get halfway through the folder he passed to me before I left the room, rage rushing through my body.
And this wasn't even about me. It was about Camilla. Granted, I've been made to look like a complete fool but they did her worse. She was never given the right to know the truth about herself. She was deprived of the right to know the truth for herself. I still don't want to believe the strange coincidence that my father had something to do with her father.
But I was definitely going to find out as I boarded a plane to Spain immediately, to the one person who I was sure would be able to clear this whole thing up.
\~~~~
Some hours later, I arrived in front of Camilla’s mother's house. I still felt such great rage taking over my body and I didn't know if I wanted to spill someone's blood or find out the answers to these fucked up questions.
I let myself into the house, not bothering to knock or come off as a good guy anymore. It was clear Camilla’s mother knew more than she was letting on. Inside, I found Marisol sitting at the dining room, drinking tea and scrolling past a magazine. She must've been so engrossed in the contents of the magazine because she was yet to notice my presence.
I cleared my throat. “Marisol.”
Her head whipped up to look at me with such force that I feared she might come up with a concussion. Her brows furrowed in confusion when her eyes landed on me but that expression was quickly replaced by a big smile and a warm look as she stood up from the table with her arms stretched forward to give me a welcoming hug.
For some reason, her action pissed me off even more.
“Àlvaro!” She chirped. “What a pleasant surprise! Hector would've loved to meet you but he's got some after school games and will be home late. What are you doing here?” She just kept babbling but noticing my quiet and stony expression, panic rose up her features. “Is Camilla alright? Where's she? Why didn't she come with you?”
I took a deep breath and walked over to sit on the chair across from the one she just vacated and crossed my hands on the table before gesturing at her to sit back down.
“I think it's time to cut the bullshit, Marisol. I know you know exactly who I am and who my father was and I need you to answer every of my fucking questions.”
Her facial expression look resigned like she had been waiting for this day.
“Okay.” She said slowly, not bothering to act clueless. “Just tell me what you want to know and I will.”
“Camilla and the Castillos. I think that's enough for you to understand what I want to know.”
Her body began to tremble silently and I was beginning to lose my patience.
“Marisol, you better start talking and don't water my time. One thing I hate is to be made to look like a fool and you should already know what I do to people who do things I hate.” I said, annoyed and she just stared at the table, completely avoiding my gaze.
“I think you already know everything. What more do you want me to say?” She replied, almost whispering, confirming everything I wanted to be a lie.
“I want to hear it from your mouth.” I said and she just nodded slowly, tears falling from her eyes. I sighed heavily, running a hand through my hair. This is going to be fucking hard to listen to. “Just start from the very beginning.” I said, leaning back on the chair. “I want to know everything.”
It took her about at least a minute before she assimilated my words, took a deep breath and began to speak.
“Only very few people knew that my husband and I couldn't have children. No matter how much we tried, it just wasn't happening. Mr Castillo knew about our struggles because he was so close to my husband. They were like brothers.” She said shakily, as if it physically hurt to remember everything that happened in the past.
“We wanted to adopt a child but we were always rejected for some reason. We wanted nothing more than to have a kid and then your father offered to help us in return for everything my husband did to help him during the years. He said he found a baby girl on the street, wrapped in a blanket but he couldn't take care of her because he had his hands full with you and starting up his business.”
Typical of my father.
Heaven alone knows whose poor, helpless couple he had to kill just to take away their child.
“My husband and I took this as a sign from God and happily agreed to take the child as our own.”
“Camilla.” I said without thinking.
“Yes.” I could see her nervously playing with her hands, still avoiding my gaze. “And everything was fine. We were the happiest, Leonardo and I because we had the best little girl. She was like our good luck charm because few years after that, we had Hector.” She smiled through tears.
“But Camilla started growing up and things changed. Your father started insisting that you and Camilla should get married when they grow up for the good of both families. Like a betrothal.”
I clenched my jaw, knowing that all this information fucking with my head way more than I had imagined it would.
“Of course, my husband, Leonardo, refused. He didn't want to decide her life first her. He loved her more than anything in this world.” Her voice broke, fully crying now. “But then, the threats towards us started. Bad people were after us and I learnt the hard way that no one dares say no to Mr Castillo. My husband often came home severely beaten until one day, he didn't come home at all. We later learned that he drowned from a boating accident and his body was never found. I knew Mr Castillo had everything to do with my husband's death. But after that, he never brought up the conversation of a betrothal anyone and I was more than happy to send Camilla off to Miami for college, far away from the craziness of Spain.”
Wait…
Was she trying to be sleek right now by pretending not to know that her husband faked his own death and was still very much alive?
“Imagine my shock when she brought you over and introduced you to me. At first, I feared you knew about my secret but it was easy to deduce that you were clueless. I accepted it because I believe in fate and I saw the way my daughter looks at you and you at her. It reminded me so much of Leonardo and I.”
Now, she was crying even harder and I was beginning to feel bad for her.
“It doesn't make any fucking sense.” I shook my head, trying to connect everything she was saying. “Why would my father just stop pushing for the betrothal after your husband's death? That's unlike him.”
“That's exactly the question I want to know the answer to. I didn't have the balls to confront your father. I had two kids to take care of alone.”
“Marisol.” I started, deciding to temporarily put her out of her misery because I just couldn't watch her cry anymore. “I have reasons to believe that Leonardo is still very much alive. In fact, I think he faked his own death all those years ago.”
This time, she looked up at me, her eyeballs almost popping out of their sockets. “No, no, you're lying. Leonardo would never do that to me. He would never abandon his kids.”
Now, I knew she wasn't pretending or anything. She really didn't know.
“I don't give a fuck if you believe me or not but one thing I'm going to say is your husband is coming after my empire, destroying it brick by brick because apparently, he wants Camilla back but I'm prepared to do whatever it takes to keep her and my empire. I'm not my father but no one, absolutely no one threatens Àlvaro Castillo.”
I said as I got up and walked out of the house.
What sort of fucked up shit have I gotten myself involved in? All because of a random girl I kidnapped?