22. The Last Four Years #2
Shortly after Allegra was born, Alejandro, Diego, and Lettie spent a weekend alone together in the villa.
We’d only been back in Barcelona for a few short months and we were still acclimating ourselves to our new lives.
Karina and Diego with a newborn, Alejandro and I living together for the first time in a while, and Lettie joining us for the adventure.
To this day neither Karina nor I knows what they discussed that weekend.
All we know is that when they came back, they’d decided on a new path forward for the family.
One where legitimacy was no longer an abstract concept but a goal with a deadline.
I’d never seen Alejandro so resolute or determined before.
His first attempt at legitimacy was a failed one, wrought with chaos and uncertainty.
Before, Alejandro’s obsession with honoring the legacy of his father clouded his judgment.
Now, the desire to legitimize seems to come from within.
He’s focused, patient, and risk-averse, favoring small steps over giant leaps.
And unlike before, he finally has the full support of his family behind him.
I think Allegra’s birth put things into perspective for everyone. Including Abuelo.
For nearly three years we’ve been focused on the Enterprise as a whole.
Eliminating illegitimate ventures from a business portfolio is easy enough when you have the money, time, and resources to do so.
With Regina’s expertise we’ve been able to get a lot farther in a shorter period of time but it doesn’t mean we’re free from the Twelve Apostles.
Restructuring the nature of the city’s organized crime syndicate was and still is the real issue, especially since so much of the Enterprise’s financial success and stability is dependent on the Narvaez family’s control over the ports.
Territory and neighborhood border disputes become inconsequential when faced with the real problem: who will inherit power over one of the world’s busiest and most important shipping ports? The gateway to Europe?
We still have so much work to do with no end in sight and I fear Regina may be right. It’ll be another generation still before the Narvaezes are truly free.
Regina was a useful and unlikely ally in the beginning by suggesting a five-year grace period to which the other Families accepted.
On the condition that by the end of it, the Port of Barcelona would become neutral territory.
A stroke of genius on her part, actually.
I couldn’t believe no one else had thought of it before.
We’ve nearly reached the halfway point of our five-year grace period which promises us time to get our affairs in order and devise a concrete plan for the future; one which guarantees our stability and that of the other Families.
Two years ago I came up with the idea to further diversify the Enterprise’s portfolio by acquiring international property.
If the company specializes in luxury goods, why not luxury real estate?
That’s where Regina comes in. Having spent the last several years rebuilding her family and their fortune after Sandro’s catastrophic Cold War with Alejandro, she’s proved herself to be a brilliant businesswoman.
She handles the bulk of our investments and in exchange, Regina stands to inherit Alejandro’s seat of power within the Twelve Families.
He’s so desperate to wash his hands of all this that he already allows Regina to act as his proxy in most matters involving the other Families and has for quite some time.
From our shared alliance, a strange yet sincere friendship bloomed.
One where we don’t mince words, feign civility, or keep up pretenses for the sake of doing so.
Our encounters are blunt and honest, rooted in mutual respect despite our initial distaste for one another. Sometimes, I even think I like her.
“I’ve been meaning to ask,” I scribble my name across the bottom of a document confirming my stock purchase in a tech company we’re considering buying out next quarter. “Have you had time to…”
My voice trails off.
The waitress returns and sets our plates on the table. Salad and patatas bravas, our signature meal when we’re attempting to be healthy but can’t kick the carbs craving. Eyes deepening with concern, she sits up in her chair and looks down at the paper.
“Is something wrong?” She asks. “It’s for a million, like we agreed.”
“No, it’s not that, it’s…” I set the pen down and meet her gaze. “I just realized. This is probably one of the last times I’ll ever sign my own name.”
An arched, golden-brown brow lifts. “I’m not following.”
“Well, I’m married. Aren’t I technically the Senora de Narvaez now?”
“What a morbid thought.” She quips. “I’d sooner eat glass than take another man’s last name.”
“You have your father’s last name. You’re a Sandoval.”
“My father adored me. I was the apple of his eye until the day he died. I’m proud to have his last name…” With fidgeting hands she picks up her napkin and lays it over her lap. “Despite my brother.”
“Hm.” I reach for the pen again and stare at the document.
Dahlia Rosario Melendez
Do I want to legally change my name? Would it matter to Alejandro if I didn’t?
Regina delves deep into talks about properties she thinks I might be interested in, their potential for restoration, and other investment opportunities to arise in the third quarter but everything goes in one ear and out the other.
The significance of the diamond on my finger has never been as evident as it is in this moment. I can’t believe it.
I’m really a Narvaez now.