One older gentleman became her main benefactor. Their arrangement lasted nearly four years until Señor Rodriguez expired in his bathtub. By then, Gabriela had saved almost $22,000 and accumulated a closet full of designer clothes, bags and an expensive collection of fine jewelry. Before she left for America, she sold some of the jewelry but could not part with all of it. She kept one necklace that had a charm of two connected Gs dangling from a substantial fourteen-karat gold chain. I need to look good in New York, don’t I?

Once she arrived in Manhattan, she found work as a live-in nanny for a well-to-do family, which was ironic because she didn’t like children unless they were sleeping. Regardless, she needed a place to live and moved into the Carmichael’s large Manhattan apartment as their babysitter. Mr. Carmichael was an investment banker with the large banking conglomerate, Blue Crest Financial. In time, she took on other duties beyond childcare, doing small private favors for him—for cash. Six months after their arrangement began, Mr. Carmichael lost his job, the money grew tight and stopped trickling down to Gabriela.

During her time as their nanny, Gabriela had gotten to know a math tutor who came to the house once a week to help the Carmichael’s oldest son. It didn’t take long for the bookish and introverted Greg Harmen to develop a crush on the Mexican beauty. When she learned he owned his own apartment, had a degree from Columbia and his own business, he became more interesting. After the Carmichaels regretfully told Gabriela their finances could no longer support a nanny, she quickly set her sights on an easy target, Greg Harmen. With her travel visa already expired and nowhere to live, she had to act fast or risk being deported.

When Greg showed up for the last tutoring session before Gabriela’s departure, she went into action. Offering to walk Greg out when he left, she suggested they go for a coffee. Coffee turned into dinner and dinner into a wild sleepover. That night, Gabriela García took Greg Harmen on the best ride of his life. What he didn’t know that night was that he’d soon marry her but they’d never grow old together.

19

When Sean and Zoe arrived at her building after the Villa d’Luna meeting, Sean opened the heavy glass and gold-plated front door before the doorman could get to it.

“Hey, Ms. Brandt,” said Don looking up, “I’ve got a delivery for you. Looks like it might be another plant. Mr. Brandt never forgets about you when he goes away, does he?”

Zoe blushed, looking over at an obviously confused Sean. “Whenever Conner goes away on business, he always sends me a little something to remind me he loves me and he’s thinking about me,” she said.