Chapter 14: The Name in the Archive
The glow of Paulina's computer screen reflected in her eyes.
A progress bar slowly crept toward one hundred percent.
Decrypting archived records...
She leaned forward, barely breathing.
For years she had believed the Villaseñor family was hiding only one secret.
Now she realized there had been another.
One buried for more than three decades.
The file finally opened.
Most of the names had been erased.
Entire paragraphs were blacked out.
But one section had survived.
Male Infant B
Date of Birth: July 17
Adoptive Family: Álvarez
Location: Guadalajara, Jalisco
Paulina frowned.
"Álvarez..."
She quickly searched the foundation's financial records.
One name appeared repeatedly.
Javier Álvarez.
Chairman of Álvarez Infrastructure.
One of the Villaseñor Group's biggest competitors.
Paulina's eyes widened.
"No..."
She opened another document.
A childhood photograph slowly loaded.
Two boys.
Around ten years old.
One stood beside an elderly couple.
The caption beneath the image read:
Gabriel Álvarez
Paulina's heartbeat quickened.
She searched for recent photographs.
Within seconds, dozens appeared.
Gabriel Álvarez.
Thirty-five years old.
CEO of Álvarez Infrastructure.
Mexico's youngest self-made billionaire.
Diego's fiercest business rival.
She leaned back in stunned silence.
"So that's why..."
She whispered.
"The enemy was family all along."
Villaseñor Estate
Ricardo's tablet vibrated.
"Our cybersecurity team has identified the file Paulina accessed."
Diego looked up immediately.
"What did she find?"
Ricardo hesitated.
"I'm sending it to your screen now."
A photograph appeared.
Gabriel Álvarez stood at the opening ceremony of a new skyscraper.
Confident.
Tall.
Dark-haired.
Diego stared.
The resemblance was subtle.
Not identical.
But unmistakable.
The same eyes.
The same jawline.
Even the same habit of standing with one hand in his pocket.
Elena covered her mouth.
"He..."
She couldn't finish.
Fernando slowly nodded.
"I always wondered."
Marisol whispered,
"They look alike."
Arturo remained unusually quiet.
His gaze never left the screen.
Finally he spoke.
"I've met him."
Everyone turned.
"When?"
"Last year."
"He came to Italy seeking investors."
Diego frowned.
"And?"
"He reminded me of someone."
"I just never realized who."
Fernando slowly sat down.
His face looked exhausted.
"I should have searched harder."
"You did search?"
Diego asked.
Fernando nodded.
"For years."
"After your grandfather died..."
"I regretted everything."
"I tried finding the boy."
"But every record had vanished."
Arturo looked at him sharply.
"You never told anyone."
"I was ashamed."
"No."
Arturo replied quietly.
"You were afraid."
Fernando closed his eyes.
"Yes."
"I was."
Guadalajara
At that exact moment...
Gabriel Álvarez stood inside the executive boardroom of Álvarez Infrastructure.
Construction models covered the enormous table.
His executives discussed the company's newest bid.
"...If we acquire the Santa Fe development..."
"...Villaseñor Group will lose nearly forty percent of the market."
Gabriel barely listened.
His attention remained on a framed photograph resting on the corner of his desk.
An elderly couple smiled proudly beside a teenage boy.
His adoptive parents.
Both gone now.
A secretary knocked.
"Sir."
"What is it?"
"You received another anonymous package."
Gabriel frowned.
"Again?"
She placed a small envelope on his desk.
No return address.
No stamp.
Only his name.
He opened it carefully.
Inside...
A faded gold button.
Exactly like the one Valentina had found beneath the chandelier.
His expression changed instantly.
Beneath the button lay a short handwritten note.
It's time you learned who you really are.
Nothing else.
No signature.
No explanation.
Gabriel slowly stood.
For the first time in years...
His hands trembled.
Villaseñor Estate
Valentina wandered into the garden holding a basket of cookies she had baked with Elena.
She spotted Arturo sitting alone beneath an old jacaranda tree.
He looked distant.
Lost in thought.
She walked over.
"Cookie?"
Arturo smiled faintly.
"Thank you."
She climbed onto the bench beside him.
"You lonely?"
He laughed softly.
"A little."
"My mama says lonely people need friends."
"And are we friends?"
Valentina nodded with complete certainty.
"Yes."
Arturo looked toward the mansion.
"So much time wasted..."
He whispered.
"What?"
"Nothing."
Valentina thought very seriously.
Then reached into her pocket.
She pulled out the little golden button.
"I found another one."
Arturo stared.
"Where?"
"In Grandma's sewing box."
His eyes widened.
He carefully took the button.
Turning it over, he noticed tiny engraved initials.
A.V.
Not Alejandro Villaseñor.
Not Arturo Villaseñor.
Instead...
Aurora Villaseñor.
His mother's name.
Arturo suddenly remembered.
Their mother had sewn identical gold buttons onto tiny sweaters she made by hand for every child in the family.
One for Diego.
One for...
The second baby.
His breathing became uneven.
"There were two..."
he whispered.
"She made two."
Valentina tilted her head.
"You okay?"
Arturo looked at the child.
Then at the mansion.
Then back at the tiny button resting in his palm.
For the first time in thirty years...
He fully accepted the truth.
His family hadn't ended with his brother's death.
It had been waiting for him all along.
Suddenly, Ricardo hurried into the garden.
"Sir!"
Diego and Marisol rushed outside.
"What happened?"
Ricardo held up his phone.
"Our surveillance team intercepted a call."
"From Paulina?"
"No."
"From Gabriel Álvarez."
Everyone froze.
"What did he say?"
Ricardo took a slow breath.
"He booked a flight."
"To Mexico City?" Diego asked.
Ricardo slowly shook his head.
"No."
"He's already in Mexico."
"He requested a meeting."
"With whom?"
Ricardo looked directly at Diego.
"With you."
He paused before adding the final sentence.
May you like
"He says..."
"...he believes you're brothers."
