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He’d
moved froe of twenty-one, and then relocated to Chicago a year after that because he’d wanted nothing to do with his family The move froally possible froe Alejandro had put several thousand y had used to create hi hi in the form of his half-brother
Gael Aguilar
He was half of the equation that had worsened the acrio Gael and his mother had put faces on the hitherto faceless monsters that were his father’s indiscretions Those rown until Alejandro had had no choice but to leave the only home he’d known
But the nightmare hadn’t been ready to let him be
Gael had arrived in California shortly after hih to contain the two of the hi after the saeoning e-commerce start-up would’ve been an easy accomplishment for Alejandro But that would’ve indicated he cared one iota about the life he’d put behind hiiven the impression that the countless instances of infidelity, rancour and falsehood that had peppered his childhood still had the power to matter
So he’d walked away
Heabout it orthy of being lauded He’d cut all ties As far as he was concerned, he existed in this world alone
Except his half-brother hadn’t got thefor the second and final time, it appeared Gael was deterain Or at the very least, scurry aith the deal Alejandro had worked tirelessly to pull together
Turning off his engine, he launched hiround car park of his co the lift that would take him to the top-floor offices of SNV International, he recalled that last exchange with his brother when Gael had found out he was leaving California
‘I hear you’re relocating your business Why? You scared I’ to show you up?’ Gael’s white sed with bravado, had re but cold indifference
‘Don’t kid yourself My coh to thrive anywhere in the world But perhaps you should count your lucky stars that I’ myself from the temptation to crush you into the dirt This way you at least have a hope ofof yourself’
His brother’s smile had evaporated like nised in himself—one of implacable will and determination—had passed over Gael’s features
‘I look forward to the day when I make you s those words, hermano’
Alejandro had shrugged and walked away He hadn’t bothered to tell Gael they would never be true brothers because they’d never ers had been bad enough A second time, in their twenties, was overkill
He’d thought there wouldn’t be a third
Except, walking away hadn’t ended it Foolishly, it see And like a damn virus he was deters as he could
He strode into his office as the April sun rose over Lake Michigan Nor espresso This Monday, however, he tossed his car keys on his desk, tugged off his jacket and went to work
By 9:00 am he had definite confir with the Japanese deal
He sat back in his chair, fingers tented together as he forced down the acid bite of distaste Gael’s corown into an e-commerce powerhouse second only to Alejandro’s own cole moment had that reality fazed him His company orth billions, and more than held its own in the industry At tienerous, he even welcomed Toredo’s competition
Not this ti this deal would launch SNV into an echelon of its own It would be the cul away from the tatters of what the coht accommodate such failures He didn’t He’d cut his losses on an irredee he did could fix as permanently broken Instead he’d concentrated on what he was successful at He’d made his first million at twenty-four, just before he left California In the ten years since, he’d risen to the top
The Ishikawa deal would be his crowning glory He’d worked too long and hard to see it dismantled by Gael
His strategy tea with Japanese coside his in-house PR departotiations had stalled Although he still had his doubts as to the efficacy of e an outside PR company, he opened the first file
The headshot caught his attention i at the picture critically, Alejandro couldn’t pinpoint why Her mouth was too wide and full, her nose a little too perfectly pointed Her alold eyes held tooa little too much make-up; he preferred the natural look The shadows and the make-up alone jarred him further into memories he didn’t want to dwell on Like the memories of his brother, they were reet