Unfinished Business (Élite)

Chapter 3

                The next day Vic is at Nadia's house as early as seems polite on a Saturday morning. The shop isn't open yet, but she can see Nadia's mom organizing some shelves inside. She knocks on the door.

Imán opens hesitantly. She looks wary, which means she must have noticed something was up with her daughter last night.

"Good morning, Mrs. Shana. Is Nadia awake? I brought her breakfast." Vic holds up a bag of croissants fresh off the bakery, offering her best pleading look.

"Come in, Victoria," Imán finally says. "She's in her room."

"Thank you."

Nadia doesn't look happy to see Vic, which doesn't surprise Vic in the slightest since she's been ignoring her texts. She's still in her pajamas, black curls forming a wild halo around her face.

"I come bearing food," Vic hands her the croissants. Chocolate-filled, Nadia's favorite. "And an explanation."

Nadia takes the bag tentatively. "It'd better be a good one. I can't stand lies." She brings a pastry to her mouth, which Vic interprets as a sign to start.

"Okay." She takes a deep breath. "First of all, I'm sorry for not telling you the truth. I was afraid if you knew I used to be one of them that you wouldn't want anything to do with me."

"I wouldn't be so quick to judge you," Nadia interrupts. "If there is one thing I learned at Las Encinas is that everyone deserves a chance."

"I know that now," Vic says, tentatively sitting down on the bed next to her. "But when you see what I have to show you, maybe you'll understand why I was so scared."

The laptop takes a few minutes to start, and by the time Vic opens the files she is looking for, Nadia has finished her first croissant. "Here. It's better if you just read it yourself."

Nadia's face transforms as she scrolls down the articles. "Is this your dad?" she asks, horrified.

"I wish it wasn't, but yes."

Nadia closes the laptop and gives it back to Vic. She obviously doesn't need to read anymore.

"After he got arrested, my mom and I moved away. We knew he wasn't getting out of it, they had too much shit on him. Money embezzlement, illegal contracts, tax evasion... " she trails off, still finding it hard after all this time to say the next part out loud, " Sexual harassment even. My mom was completely disgusted. She had no idea about any of it. He had us fooled for years. I mean, the last months before the arrest, I think she may have had an inkling. Things started to get really weird at home, and she was convinced he was having an affair. I wish that had been it."

Nadia looks speechless.

"It was really hard on her as it was. But the worst part was everyone getting on my father's side during the trial. His family, my mom's even, and all their mutual so-called friends. They wanted her to pay his bail, to get him out. Some of his associates went as far as to offer her money to stay quiet and comply, just to save their own arses. They didn't care if he deserved to rot in jail, as long as they could maintain their reputation. These people have a twisted sense of loyalty. And they are willing to go to any lengths necessary to keep their business in the dark."

"Like Marina and Guzmán's father with the accident at my old school," Nadia finally speaks, grabbing Vic's trembling hand.

Hearing that name out loud does something to Vic's insides. Something painful.