Success, Opulence and Power by Hebru Young (best novel books to read .TXT) 📗

Edwardo knew that someone from the cartel would eventually show up to discuss the future of the restaurant. His father’s death had a profound impact on him. There was a certain darkness that came over him, and his outlook on life had completely changed. The innocence had been stripped from him, replaced with anger and a thirst for Zorro’s blood. Consequently, Hector’s plan for him and the restaurant had no effect on his emotions. If anything, his desire to become wealthy made Hector’s offer seem like the perfect opportunity. The advantage to the new arrangement was that Edwardo would have a security detail; a necessity that would have kept his father alive had it been implemented.

Edwardo would have to break the news to his mother about his new career. Anna had watched the pair from a distance, and she knew that nothing good was going to come from the conversation between her son and Mr. Gallegos. She could tell that Edwardo was about to be entangled with the cartel, the very same thing that got her husband killed. This bothered her, but she was more concerned about her family’s safety than the notion of high morals. She had detached herself from the concept of righteousness the day she decided to step foot on the dodgy ship in Puerto Plata. She had convinced herself that God understood her predicament, and that her failings would be pardoned by him.

“Edwardo, what was that about?” Anna asked.

“Well, Mom, I’m sure you already know who those guys are. Mr. Gallegos said that someone would need to take over Dad’s position, and that we didn’t really have a choice in the matter. I know that Dad always talked about moving to Milwaukee, but these guys were never going to let that happen. The restaurant is the perfect front for their business. Mr. Gallegos wanted to deal with me directly, because the cartel does not do business with women. They need the restaurant to keep running the way it has since Dad started working for them,” Edwardo explained.

“I knew it! Oh my God, what have we done, what have we done! We should have never come to this country; we shouldn’t have exposed you to all this!” Anna said as tears rolled down her face.

“Mom, it’s okay. I’m not completely clueless on everything that had been going on. Dad opened up to me about the cartel right before he was killed. My friends’ parents are in the same business, and they talk about it all the time. I am not naive about these things. We are in an impossible situation here. But in due time I will get us out of it, I promise. Also, I have Mr. Gallegos’s word that I will be allowed to complete my education during the time that I will be working for them,” Edwardo explained.

“My dear son, how did you become so wise?” Anna said.

“Everyone keeps saying that. I don’t think I’m all that wise, I just pay attention to everything going on around me, and I use what I learn to my advantage. I saw Dad do the same thing over and over again, I learned it from him,” Edwardo said.

Edwardo lied about not having a choice regarding doing business with the cartel. He also left out a couple of the other crucial details. However, he told his mother whatever she needed to hear in order to put her mind at rest. His sister, Isabel, was so distraught she didn’t have anything to say about anything. Guillermo’s death affected her deeply. Edwardo knew the responsibility of looking after his family was now on him, and he felt he needed to remain strong. So, he buried his emotions and proceeded to do everything that needed to be done to keep his family and the restaurant going.

Edwardo hadn’t told anyone about the money he had retrieved from the restaurant cellar the night his father was killed. Guillermo always kept a low profile and had never spent lavishly. However, judging by the amount of money Edwardo had recovered, it was apparent that Guillermo had managed to stash away a considerable amount of cash. One of the duffle bags from the cellar contained a hundred thousand dollars. The money formed part of Guillermo’s retirement fund and Edwardo’s college tuition. All the money combined, including the money in the safe and the properties, would have been more than enough money to retire from the cartel business. Edwardo also hadn’t mentioned to anyone that the cellar contained the other half of the cartel’s drugs. There were eight bricks of cocaine and six bricks of heroin. Including his own money that he had been saving, Edwardo was already well on his way to becoming very wealthy at a very young age. He wouldn’t be able to deal the cartel’s drugs in North Walnut Grove, but the plan was to have a discussion with his friends Christopher and Alexander to figure out how they were going to move the drugs.

Edwardo didn’t want to be mediocre at anything. He was going to complete high school and attend university. His plan had been to study automotive engineering. However, with everything that had happened, he decided he was going to attain a degree in business and entrepreneurship while working with the cartel. This qualification would not only serve as the perfect cover for his future career with the cartel, it would provide him the skills required to be successful in the business.

Edwardo’s plan was to build his own empire, but he knew it was going to take some time. The money and drugs in his possession were a good starting point, but he understood he would need to save for a rainy day. He also knew he would have to reinvest some of the money. The extra earnings from the cartel would be spent on the family, the restaurant, and his education. He had everything planned out.