Chapter 8 To War

Margaret was in her office, a space she had prepared inside her cabin. She was reviewing, once again, each of the files that the investigators had given her with the details of her grandchildren's lives, when the door rang.

She neatly put the folders back into a lockable drawer and got up to open it. They were his sons, Ricardo and Héctor.

Margaret immediately assumed that this visit, early in the day, should not be to greet her and make up for lost time with their mother, for the long faces her children brought said it all.

"Good morning, mother..." Ricardo bowed slightly.

"I know you don't come to greet me, Ricardo..." Margaret turned around, leaving the door of her room open for her children to enter. "So, it's best to get to the point..."

"It's true, mother..." Hector entered after her, followed by Ricardo. "We're here to make you come to your senses...

"Right?" Margaret turned to them, crossing her arms. "And according to you... What is that reason that I must understand?"

"Mother, just listen to us..." Ricardo spoke in a peaceful tone. We didn't want to get into discussions yesterday because, well... We understood that it was not the right time, but my brother and I, we believe that it would have been fair, that at least you had warned us before the cruise, what you planned to do...

"What for...?" To give you the opportunity to intervene in my plans? Margaret snorted, looking at her children suspiciously.

"No!" No, of course not, mother... But we could have advised you and given you suggestions... It's just that... You don't know your grandchildren, not like us..." Hector tried to explain.

"Exactly... You can't leave the power of the family in the hands of one of your grandchildren, because they are all young and inexperienced, they are not yet ready for a responsibility like that..." Ricardo followed.

"Oh, of course, that's why I should have chosen one of you..." Margaret interrupted, standing up arrogantly, as she walked to a window and looked at the sea.

"I'm not saying that you choose us, you've already made it clear that you don't intend to do it..." But we can continue to take care of everything while our children prepare better for the position..."

"Of course, mother, in your absence we have taken over all the family's properties and we have managed everything without any setbacks, so we have no problem doing it for a while longer..." Ricardo mentioned more animated, as his mother was listening to them.

“Even our investments have shown great growth". Hector added, proudly.

"And do you think those are reasons enough to let you continue to run the Sinclair family?" Margaret blurted out suddenly, turning to them with an expression full of anger. "Pair of vultures!"

"What?" Ricardo and Hector looked at her confused.

"You come here, asking for your place at the head of the family, as if you were very responsible and honorable men, when it was you who left me in that hole!" Rotting alone! Margaret said, walking towards her children.

"Mother, what do you say?" Hector tensed, nervous. “You were going through depression, you were very bad, we did the best for you, we left you in good hands, in one of our best clinics.

"Enough is enough!" Don't want to come and see my face with your lies! Do you think I don't know what they were doing?! The woman growled, starting to turn red.

"And I'm not just talking about money..." Margaret pointed to them as a couple of criminals. - They kept me away, they were controlling me with medicines, everything for you to take control of the family... And now you want me to leave you the authority?!

"Those... Those are very delicate accusations, mother... That's not true. Who told you that? How...? Ricardo stepped forward, trying to fill himself with courage.

"How do I escape from you?" Margaret interrupted him. "That's the question you have to ask yourself... They should be thankful that I didn't sue them and send them to prison, because they are my children, and the family name would be stained... But don't tempt me...

"You don't know what you're saying, mother!" Hector shouted with an expression full of indignation. "You don't even have proof and accuse us of something so horrible, when we are only trying to help you!"

"I don't know what I'm saying?" Margaret showed a sarcastic smile, her eyes were full of anger. "Get out of my room, you ungrateful couple, before I repent and rub the evidence you need in your face..."

"Proof?" There is no proof because nothing you say is true... “Hector said very seriously.

"Mother, if you don't change your attitude, as soon as this trip is over, if you don't rectify leaving one of your grandchildren as heir..." Hector and I will talk to the lawyers, we will ask that you be removed from your place and that all your orders be dismissed for senile dementia, because obviously you are not thinking things through, it is clear that age is beginning to affect you..." Ricardo said, with a threatening tone.

"Go ahead...!" Get out your knives! I'm ready to go to war..." Margaret replied furiously. "All the family's lawyers are informed of what I'm doing and support me, do you think I'd be stupid enough to do all this without first preparing?"

"Then I'll hire new lawyers!" Ricardo declared irritated. - Don't forget, mother, that for a long time you have not been the one who gives the orders in the Sinclair family, Héctor and I worked very hard to get our places and now, we are very respected men... We have great influences...

"Do you think that by coming here to threaten me they will get what they want?" Try it, hold me back! They managed to bend me in a moment of weakness, but I won't fall again..." Margaret roared full of confidence. “Let's see who moves the pieces more intelligently.

"We are not afraid of you; we will do whatever it takes...

"Well, they should be afraid of me, right now I'm not even a fifth of the era when they left me in that hole..." So, I warn you, I will not have mercy just because they are my children. Margaret replied, turning around, because for her, this argument was over... For now.

Héctor and Ricardo left the room slamming the door, they were full of helplessness, how could they lose everything from one day to the next?

They were the bosses; the legitimate successors of the Sinclair’s and they were not going to let one of their children become the head of the family and then they would be giving him orders.

*

For three days Isabella was happy.

She was locked in her room, watching TV, soaking in her bathtub, ordering lots of food... Definitely, she would gain a lot of weight, first, because she needed to gain weight, she had lost some weight in the shelter, second, because she would need those extra kilos in case she was in need again.

She felt like bears: wintering and saving body fat for the uncertain future.

But also, she took advantage of the delicious dishes that she had never tasted, she had made it her personal game, ordering an unknown dish every time, she was determined to try all kinds of new delicacies.

The door of the room rang, Isabella imagined that it was a waiter, bringing some snacks and snacks that she had ordered a few minutes ago, however, the girl was surprised when she found Aiden's huge smile in front of her.

"Aiden...?" What...? What are you doing here? She stammered, confused, Isabella had thought she wouldn't see him again, at least, until the end of the trip.

"You can't guess?" Aiden pointed to his clothes, a loose-fitting cotton flannel, light shorts, and sandals. Then she stretched out a woven purse toward Isabella.

"What?" What is that? She took the purse and when she opened it, Aiden immediately reached into it, pulling out a tiny navy-blue two-piece bathing suit.

"I brought you something from the boutique..." Aiden crooned, raising his eyebrows suggestively.

"You're crazy!" What?! What is that?! Isabella opened her eyes wide, unable to stop looking at those small pieces of cloth.

"Well, a bathing suit, obviously..." Don't tell me you haven't seen one. - Replied the surprised man.

"No, of course I do, but why did you bring me that?"

"For us to go to the pool, it's obvious, isn't it?"