While they talked with the accountant, Valentina went to the bathroom to breathe a little. She needed to think about the next step. In the bathroom, she met Mrs. Carmen, Alexander’s mother, retouching her makeup.
«Valentina, dear, what a beautiful party,» she said, but her tone didn’t sound sincere.
«Thanks, Mrs. Carmen. I hope that you are very happy.»
«Alexander deserves a good life after… well, after the problems he had.»
Valentina stopped washing her hands. «What problems?»
Mrs. Carmen seemed to have overstepped the line. «There is nothing important, just some economic difficulties that all young people pass through.»
«What type of difficulties?»
«Well, you know, loans, credit cards. Nothing that a good marriage doesn’t fix.»
The coldness with which she said it made Valentina understand that the mother knew of her son’s plans.
«I understand,» responded Valentina simply.
«I am sure that you guys will help each other mutually. After all, that is what marriage is for, right? Sharing responsibilities and resources.»
Resources. What an interesting word. «Of course, Mrs. Carmen.»
When Valentina returned to the hall, the party was at its peak. People danced, conversed animatedly, and had fun. It was a surreal contrast to the whirlwind passing through her head. Dylan approached while she took a glass of champagne.
«Valentina, can I talk with you a moment?»
«Sure.»
They separated to a more private corner.
«I know that you heard our conversation this morning.»
Valentina decided not to deny it. «And what?»
«I tried to convince Alexander not to do it. You need to know that.»
«Why do you tell this to me?»
«Because I can’t pretend that everything is okay anymore. He is my friend. But this is very wrong.»
«And what do you suggest that I do?»
«I don’t know. Maybe, maybe you guys can talk. Maybe he changes his opinion.»
Valentina almost laughed. «Dylan, you heard the same thing I did. He has planned it for two years. It’s not something he is going to regret.»
«Then what will you do?»
«I am still deciding.»
«Please don’t destroy him in public. I know that he deserves it, but…»
«But what?»
«He has serious problems with certain people. If he loses this opportunity…»
«What people?»
Dylan lowered his voice even more. «People who lent him money. People who don’t play around.»
Valentina felt a chill. Alexander was not only in debt; he was in danger.
«How much does he owe?»
«Much. More than two hundred thousand.»
«And if he doesn’t pay?»
Dylan only moved his head, leaving the implication in the air. Valentina kept silence for a moment, processing the new information. Alexander was not only a greedy scammer; he was a desperate man.
«Dylan, thanks for telling me this.»
«You won’t do anything drastic, right?»
«I promise that I will think it over well before acting.»
When Dylan moved away, Valentina stayed alone with her thoughts. The situation was more complex than she imagined. Alexander was in real danger, and that explained part of his desperation. But it didn’t justify wanting to trick her and use her family.
Sophia appeared at her side. «Val, I got preliminary information.»
«How? Already?»
«I have a friend who works in a law firm. I made some discreet calls.»
«And?»
«Alexander has had a stained reputation for more than a year. Several overdue debts. Defaults. A very complicated history.»
«Anything else?»
«Yes. There are lawsuits against him. People collecting money. And it seems that he had already tried to approach other rich families in the region before meeting you.»
Valentina felt her blood freeze. «Other families?»
«Yes. He was engaged to a girl from Denver last year, but her father discovered something and canceled everything at the last minute.»
«Sophia, are you sure of this?»
«I have the name of the family if you want to investigate more.»
So, Alexander was a professional scammer. Valentina was not his first victim, and probably wouldn’t be the last if he managed to trick her.
«Sophia, I need you to do me another favor.»
«Tell me.»
«Can you find out who his creditors are? The people to whom he owes money?»
«I can try. But Val, this is getting dangerous. Maybe it’s better that you simply ask for a divorce and…»
«No. If I do that, he will continue trying to apply the same deceit to other women. And besides, he could try to take revenge on our family in some way.»
«Then what do you plan to do?»
Valentina looked toward Alexander, who conversed animatedly with Richard about business plans. «I’m going to give him exactly what he wants, but not in the way he expects.»
«I don’t understand.»
«I am still assembling the plan, but trust me.»
The rest of the night passed in a mist of fake smiles and acting. Valentina danced, conversed, and took photos, always maintaining the facade of a happy bride. Alexander also continued with his acting, but she noticed that he was becoming more anxious for the party to finish.
Near midnight, the preparations began for the traditional departure. Valentina threw the bouquet, which was caught by a single cousin. She and Alexander cut the cake again for the last photos.
Finally, the moment arrived to go to the bridal suite in the same hotel. Richard and Patricia said goodbye with tears in their eyes.
«My daughter, be very happy,» said Patricia.
«Take care of each other much,» added Richard, embracing Alexander like a son. If they only knew.
In the elevator of the hotel, Alexander finally relaxed. «Ugh, it’s finally over.»
He was tired of faking happiness. Valentina looked at him, surprised. «Faking?»
Alexander realized what he had said and tried to correct himself. «No, no, I don’t refer to that. It’s just that parties tire you out, right? Many people, much noise. But now, it’s only the two of us.»
«Yes, it’s only the two of us,» repeated Valentina with a tone that he didn’t understand.
In the suite, Alexander went straight to the bathroom to shower. Valentina took advantage to take her cell phone and send a message to Sophia.
I need all the information that you can get for tomorrow. It’s urgent.
The response arrived fast. I’m on it, but Val, be careful. These people don’t play.
Valentina put away her cell phone when Alexander came out of the bathroom. He approached her with that seductive smile that used to drive her crazy.
«Finally alone, Mrs. Sterling.»
«Mrs. Sterling,» she repeated. «It still sounds weird.»
«You’ll get used to it,» said he, trying to kiss her.
Valentina separated gently. «Alexander, I am exhausted. What if we leave it for tomorrow?»
His expression changed quickly. «Seriously? On our first night as a married couple?»
«It’s just that it was a very intense day. I need to process everything.»
Alexander got visibly irritated but tried to dissimulate. «All right, I understand.»
But she knew that he didn’t understand. Probably he was planning how to accelerate his plans to access her assets, and a distant wife didn’t help. Valentina went to the bathroom and stayed a while alone, ordering her thoughts.
When she came out, Alexander was already asleep, or faking it. She lay down on the other side of the bed, the furthest possible from him. It was weird being there, married to a man she didn’t really know, in a bed that should be the beginning of a happy life.
The next morning, Alexander woke up in a good mood.
«Good morning, wife,» he said, kissing her face.
«Good morning,» she responded, sleepy.
«What if we have breakfast in the room? We can take advantage to talk about our plans.»
«What plans?»
«Well, now that we are married, we must think about the future. Own house, investments. Maybe I can help your dad with the business.»
There it came.
«Alexander, don’t you believe that it’s very soon for that? We just got married.»
«Soon? Valentina, planning is never too soon. By the way, your dad mentioned yesterday that he wants to take me to see the headquarters on Monday.»
«And you already accepted?»
«Of course, it’s an incredible opportunity to learn from the family business.»
Family. As if the family really mattered to him. The cell phone of Valentina vibrated; it was a message from Sophia.
I got more information. We must talk urgent.
«Who is it?» asked Alexander.
«Sophia thanking me for the party.»
«Oh, how sweet. Your sister is cool.»
If he knew that Sophia was investigating him.
«Alexander, I’m going to shower and then we can go down to have breakfast.»
«Good. Perfect. I’ll take advantage to call the boys and thank them for the party.»
In the bathroom, Valentina called Sophia.
«Hello?»
«Val, I discovered grave things. Alexander owes money to very dangerous people. And it’s not only two hundred thousand. It is almost five hundred thousand.»
«Five hundred thousand.»
«Yes. And there is more. He really tried to apply the same fraud with at least three distinct families in the last two years.»
«How so?»
«Always the same scheme. He approaches the daughter of rich entrepreneurs, conquers the family, marries, and tries to access the assets. In the first family, the dad realized in time. In the second, the bride suspected and finished everything. You are the third attempt.»
Valentina felt nausea. «Sophia, are you sure of this?»
«Totally. I talked with one of the ex-girlfriends. She told me everything.»
«And the creditors?»
«They are people involved in illegal games, clandestine casinos, sports bets. Alexander has a serious vice, Val.»
«And if he doesn’t pay?»
«The ex-girlfriend said that they have already threatened him several times. For that reason, he is so desperate.»
Valentina kept silence, assimilating all the information.
«Val, are you there?»
«I am, Sophia. Thanks for finding out all this.»
«What are you going to do now?»
«I will put my plan in motion.»
«What plan?»
«I will tell you afterward. But I need one more thing.»
«Tell me.»
«Can you find out exactly who those creditors are? Names, addresses, how to contact them?»
«Valentina, that is very dangerous.»
«Sophia, trust me. I won’t do anything silly.»
«All right. But promise me that you will tell me everything afterward.»
«I promise you.»
When she hung up, Valentina stood a moment looking at herself in the mirror. Her reflection showed a determined woman, very different from the naive bride that Alexander believed he had conquered.
She returned to the room and found Alexander on the phone.
«Yes, man, everything turned out perfect. Now, it’s only a matter of time. No, she doesn’t suspect anything. Monday I start working with the father-in-law.»
Alexander noticed that she had arrived and hung up fast.
«It was Julian thanking for the party.»
«How good,» said Valentina, knowing perfectly that it was a lie.
During breakfast in the restaurant of the hotel, Alexander was euphoric.
«Valentina, I am thinking, what if we cancel the honeymoon?»
«How so?»
«It’s that your dad got very excited with the idea of teaching me the business. I don’t want to lose this opportunity.»
«Alexander, it is fifteen days in Spain. My parents paid for everything.»
«I know, but we can go another day. Now is the perfect moment to establish myself in the company.»
Valentina observed him. He was so anxious to start robbing that he couldn’t even wait two weeks.
«All right,» she said, «if that is what you want.»
Alexander smiled radiantly. «I knew that you would understand. Now we are a team.»
Team? What a joke. After breakfast, they returned home. Valentina lived in a three-bedroom apartment that her parents had given her when she graduated from university. Alexander had moved there some weeks before the wedding but maintained his old rented apartment.
«Love, I need to stop by my apartment to pick up some things,» said Alexander.
«All right, I’ll take advantage to rest a little.»
«Perfect. I will return in some hours.»
As soon as Alexander left, Valentina called Sophia. «He already left. Can you come?»
«I am on my way.»
Thirty minutes later, Sophia arrived with a folder full of documents. «Val, I got much more information. Sit, because it’s too much.»
«Tell me.»
«First, the creditors. They are really dangerous people. They have already broken the legs of some debtors. Alexander is very scared.»
«Continue.»
«Second, I discovered that he has more debts besides the bets. Loans with loan sharks, credit cards at the limit, overdue financing. In total, he owes more than eight hundred thousand dollars.»
«Eight hundred thousand, my God.»
«And there is more. He lied about everything in his life. The accounting office where he says he works? They fired him six months ago for suspicions of money diversion. So he is completely unemployed and survives on small scams and loans.»
Valentina shook her head, incredulous. «Anything else?»
«Yes. His family is also in bankruptcy. His mom lost the house because Alexander asked for money, borrowing using her as a guarantor. He destroyed his own family. For that reason, she was so interested in the wedding.»
«Exactly. For her, you are the salvation of the family.»
Valentina stood up and walked toward the window.
«Sophia, he is much more dangerous than I thought.»
«For that reason, I believe that you should leave immediately. Ask for a divorce. Get out of Aspen if necessary.»
«No.»
«Why not?» Valentina turned to see her sister.
«Because if I do that, he will continue destroying other families, and he could try to take revenge on ours too.»
«Then what is your plan?»
«I’m going to give him exactly what he wants: access to the family assets.»
«Valentina, are you crazy?»
«Relax, let me explain.»
Valentina sat again and took her sister’s hands. «Alexander believes that I am a naive girl in love, right?»
«Yes.»
«So I will continue being that girl. I will help him to get access to Dad’s businesses. Even I will suggest he sign powers of attorney and important documents.»
«I still don’t understand.»
«Sophia, you are studying law. What happens when someone signs fraudulent documents or tries to rob a company?»
Sophia opened her eyes wide. «They go to jail for scamming, fraud…»
«Exactly. And if that person is in debt with criminals, having a criminal record won’t help his situation much, right?»
«Valentina, do you want him arrested?»
«I want him caught red-handed trying to rob us, with enough proof to ensure that he never does this to anyone again.»
«But it’s dangerous. What if he realizes? He won’t do it.»
«He underestimates me too much.»
Sophia reflected for a moment. «And his creditors?»
«Ah, for that I have another plan.» Valentina smiled. «I will search for them and propose paying Alexander’s debt.»
«In exchange for what?»
«They will do some things for me.»
«What things?»
«When I have proof that he tried to rob us, I will deliver them to the authorities. But before that, I will give him a lesson that he will never forget.»
Sophia shook her head. «This is very risky, Val.»
«Maybe. But it’s the only way to ensure that he never hurts anyone again. Alexander underestimates me, and that is my biggest advantage.»
Sophia sighed. «All right. What do you need me to do?»
«First, I want all the details of the creditors. Names, addresses, how to contact them. Second, I want you to help me document everything that he does in the next few days.»
«Document how?»
«Recordings, photos, copies of documents. Everything that proves that he is trying to trick me.»
«And are you sure that you want to go through with this to the end?»
Valentina looked through the window again. From the apartment, she could see her father’s company in the center of the city. Three generations of honest work that Alexander wanted to destroy in some weeks.
«I am sure.»
Alexander returned at the end of the afternoon, carrying two suitcases.
«Hello, love. I brought the rest of my things.»
«How good. Now officially we live together.»
«Yes.» Alexander seemed to hesitate. «Valentina, can we talk about something?»
«Sure. What is it about?»
«It’s about money. I am a bit tight right now.»
There it came.
«Tight how?»
«Some overdue bills from the previous apartment, you know. Nothing grave. But I thought since we are married, maybe we could unify our finances.»
«Unify how?»
«Well, put everything in a joint account, so it will be easier to manage it.»
Valentina pretended to consider it. «It makes sense, but don’t you believe that it’s very soon?»
«Valentina, we are husband and wife. What’s mine is yours and vice versa.»
«All right. Tomorrow we can go to the bank to fix that.»
Alexander smiled, relieved. «Perfect. And about working with your dad? What happened?»
«He wants to take me tomorrow to see the company. I am very excited.»
«How good. For sure it will go very well for you.»
«I believe so. By the way, I thought, could your dad give me a power of attorney to sign some documents? To expedite the procedures?»
«A power of attorney? Don’t you believe that it’s soon for that?»
«It’s that I really want to help. And if he is on a trip or busy, I could resolve some things for him.»
Valentina faked reflection. «It has logic. I will talk with him.»
Alexander embraced her. «I knew that you would understand me. We are a true team.»
That night, while Alexander slept, Valentina sent messages to Sophia to organize the next steps of the plan. Also, she searched the internet about Alexander’s creditors and found worrying information. The next morning, Alexander woke up excited.