Chapter 18 part one

EIGHTEEN

Leandro planted a kiss on Graciela's cheeks and smiled but she saw past that happy mask and knew how worried he was.

"How did it go?" she asked. He pulled off his straw hat and placed it on the dresser in front of a framed photo of Graciela on horseback with Indira and Jessica all smiles with their hands on each other's shoulders.

He sat at the edge of the bed cradling his head with his hand. Graciela stood before him; she reached down and cupped his face in her palm forcing him to look into her eyes.

"We might lose the hacienda." He told her. Graciela sighed warily.

"We can still do something right?"

"No amount of chemical can stop it Graciela." For twenty years the hacienda has yielded plenty, it was all leandro got, all he's ever lived for. The coffee plantation was his life and now he's going to lose it. "First thing tomorrow morning I am going to get rid of the infested coffee trees."

Graciela said nothing she simply massaged his shoulders to ease his tension.

Olivia sat back in her swivel chair breathing in her success. She's come a long way and her day of glory is just hours away but there's just one more important thing she needed to do and the means to do it was right at her door.

"Mrs. Sandoval?"

"Come in detective."

The storky man formally clothed pushed the door all the way and strolled into her office.

"Have a seat." She offered. "I was told that you're very good at your job."

"The absolute best." He said with the cockiness of a man who what he wanted and knows the means to get it.

Gabriela clapped her hand over her face feeling frustrated. The past few years she'd always been the first to present her haute couture designs to the fashion guild, she was always the one winning awards and medals for her collections but this time it was different, this time she was way behind schedule. She had a feeling things are about to get real messy as soon as Casa Olivina decided to include haute couture alongside their successful RTW and she hated competition. Casa Olivina was a threat to Casa Gabriela's success. Gabriela had told herself countless number of times after her daughter had won the Miss Mexico pageant that her couture were the best but now she's starting to see that they are not.

She stood up from her cozy executive chair to stare at the numerous awards displayed evenly on the wall behind her. The good old days, she thought running her fingers along the cool surface. The door flew open and Bianca came in.

"I have bad news."

"What is it this time?" Gabriela asked rather uninterested resting her fingers on the smooth surface of her oak desk.

"Three of our designers have resigned and two have been admitted in the hospital for food poisoning."

"What?"

"We are short of hands Gabriela."

"But why7 didn't you stop from resigning? You should've done everything in the book to keep them on the team especially at this critical moment." Gabriela flared. "Have I taught you nothing Bianca?"

"I did everything I could, I offered them a raise but it didn't work. I'm sorry, there was nothing more I could've done."

Gabriela slammed her fist on the desk. "Do you want to get fired Bianca?" she couldn't contain her frustration anymore.

"Whoa whoa, calm down okay, I'm doing the best I can here." Bianca countered.

Gabriela sighed warily, sinking into her chair there was no need to be harsh with Bianca she's become more of a friend than an assistant. "I'm sorry for yelling at you."

Bianca nodded accepting her apology.

"We might lose our clients Bianca. And you know what that means; we'll lose them to Casa Olivina. If Olivia pulls the spring collection before we do…"

"I know which is why I've gotten word out that we're looking for designers. Do not fret Gabriela everything will be okay I promise."