"Who deserves it more?" Vittorio's eyes were intense despite the failing body. "Some distant relatives who never visited? Business associates who were only friends when it benefited them? You're the only person in my life who ever acted without expectation of reward.""I don't need your money. The Vega family—""This isn't about need." Vittorio squeezed Diego's hand with surprising firmness. "It's about legacy. I spent sixty years building businesses, accumulating wealth, creating something that mattered. I'll be damned if I let it vanish into government coffers or get divided among vultures.""But there must be someone else—""There isn't." Vittorio's voice was absolute. "My will is finalized, Diego. Signed, witnessed, legally binding. Half to charity, half to you. It's done."Diego sat back, overwhelmed. "Vittorio...""I have peace with this decision." The old man's breathing had grown more labored, his strength clearly fading. "I leave everything I built to a man with a heart of go

Diego ensured that Adrián Reyna and his family were moved to a secure location under the protection of Ricardo's most trusted security personnel. The lawyer's gratitude had been almost pathetic in its intensity, but Diego understood—the man had been caught between impossible choices.The inheritance itself didn't trouble Diego. He'd never needed Vittorio's money, and losing it to Lucia's machinations changed nothing about his own financial situation. What bothered him was the aura surrounding both Lucia and Alejandro—especially Alejandro.The man who'd appeared at the engagement party was fundamentally different from the desperate gambler of two years ago. Something had shifted in him, something that made Diego's instincts scream danger.He needed to discuss this with Esperanza.Diego found her in the villa's study, reviewing contracts on her tablet. She looked up as he entered, immediately sensing his troubled mood."What happened?" she asked, setting the device aside."We need to ta

Alejandro struck again, this time hitting a cluster of nerves along Henandez's right side. The young man's entire right arm went limp, dangling uselessly at his side. His right leg buckled, and he would have fallen if two of his friends hadn't caught him."Get off me!" Henandez tried to push them away, but his right side was completely paralyzed. "What the hell is happening?""The paralysis will spread," Alejandro explained, his voice carrying across the suddenly silent VIP section. "Slowly. Over the next four days, it will creep through your body—shoulder to torso, torso to organs. And when it reaches your heart..."He let the implication hang in the air."You'll die," Alejandro finished. "Painfully. Your heart will seize up, unable to beat, while you're still conscious enough to feel every agonizing second."Henandez's face had gone deathly pale. "You're insane! My father will—""Your father can't help you. No doctor can help you. The only person who can reverse what I've done is me

Esperanza stood in the empty living room, staring at the door Diego had just rushed through. In all the time she'd known him—through crisis, danger, and impossible situations—she'd never seen him rattled like this.She was the CEO of a multibillion-dollar conglomerate. She didn't scare easily. Fear was a luxury she couldn't afford in boardrooms filled with sharks and vultures disguised as business partners. She'd faced down hostile takeovers, corporate espionage, and attempts to undermine her authority with nothing but cold calculation and steel resolve.But seeing Diego—her Diego, the man who faced everything with unshakeable calm—genuinely frightened? That terrified her more than any business threat ever could.His cool, collected demeanor had cracked. And that crack revealed depths of fear she hadn't known he was capable of feeling.She pulled out her phone and called her father."Esperanza? Is everything alright?""I need to come stay at the compound for a few days. Diego thinks i

"What do you mean we're all in danger?" Alvaro demanded, his voice tight with barely controlled panic. "Explain yourself!"Diego's hands moved slowly over Henandez's body, not quite touching but tracing patterns only he could sense. "All the signs and symptoms of a nerve pinching technique are evident. The blue veining, the progressive paralysis, the specific pattern of neural disruption. Your son's energy has been turned inward against him.""Energy? What energy?" Alvaro looked desperately between Diego and his son's still form."The body's natural bioelectric field. Life force, if you prefer simpler terms." Diego's fingers hovered over Henandez's chest. "The attack disrupted the flow, creating a cascade that's slowly shutting down his vital systems. If it's not reversed, it will kill him."Dr. Mendoza, who'd remained near the door despite being dismissed, burst into rough laughter. "This is complete bullshit! Nerve pinching techniques? Life force? Energy fields? Senator, this charla