Carlos Rodriguez stood framed in the aircraft doorway, sunlight casting his silhouette in dramatic relief. His once jet-black hair was now threaded with silver, his face more lined than Alex remembered, but his eyes retained their penetrating intensity—the same eyes that had evaluated business rivals and wayward children with equal analytical precision.
"Father," Alex acknowledged, instinctively stepping slightly in front of Sonia in a protective gesture that didn't go unnoticed by Carlos.
A thin smile crossed the elder Rodriguez's face. "Interesting," he murmured, his gaze shifting to their interlaced fingers before returning to Alex's face. "Some variables can never be fully predicted, it seems."
"Even by you?" Alex challenged, years of complicated emotions—admiration, resentment, gri
