Upon my return to Guayaquil, I learned that a judge had dismissed my siblings’ contention of the will since my father’s doctor, the bank manager, and Aquilino had all testified that my father was in his right mind when he wrote his last wishes. When hearing the news, Angélica, Laurent, and Catalina had left the plantation and were staying with friends in Vinces.

“But I never wanted them to leave,” I mumbled, fixing my gaze on the intricate carvings on Aquilino’s bureau. I’d been thinking, innocently perhaps, that they would come to resign themselves to my father’s desires and we would all live in harmony at the hacienda, like sisters.

I squeezed the handkerchief in my hand—I hadn’t been able to stop crying since the funeral.

“Aren’t you satisfied with the news?” Aquilino said. “As the majority holder, you’re free to take possession of La Puri now if you wish to.”

I nodded, but I never thought that good news could taste so bitter.

I dabbed the corners of my eyes with the handkerchief. “Why have you been helping me?” I asked. “You’ve known my siblings for much longer than me.”

“Because it’s the right thing to do. I worked for your father for many years and he always confided in me the remorse he felt about leaving you and your mother behind. He said his fortune was built thanks to your grandmother, who introduced him to chocolate. Without her influence, he would’ve never left Europe. So, he thought it was only fair that you should benefit from your family’s legacy. He felt he owed it to your grandmother and he made me promise that I would make sure you got your part—I think he suspected that his decisions might cause problems between his children.”

“What about Elisa? Did he ever talk to you about her?”

“He mentioned her a few times, but he always had doubts that she was truly his. Elisa’s mother didn’t have a good reputation around town. She was known to have had many”—he cleared his throat—“friends, so he was never sure that Elisa carried his blood. This is why he never truly accepted her, why he didn’t leave her anything.” Aquilino stood up. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have another appointment.” He removed a key from the pocket of his vest. “Here’s the key to the hacienda. La Puri is yours.”

* * *