Chapter 178: A Strong First Impression
Lomas de Chapultepec, Mexico City
Alejandro Calderón Virelles sat in his study, a monocle fixed over his left eye as he flipped through images of the cursed weapons expected to arrive that night. His eyes gleamed with excitement, a greedy light dancing within them.
He pinched the tip of his pointed mustache and let out a giggle that carried an oddly crude edge, like the satisfied snort of a man indulging in something he should not.
Bam!
The door swung open without warning, and a towering figure stepped into the room. The man’s frame was grotesquely powerful, his upper body heavily built, his arms unnaturally larger than his legs, giving him a shape that resembled a beast more than a man.
Yet despite that intimidating physique, he carried himself with the composure of a refined gentleman. He wore a perfectly tailored butler’s suit, his long gray hair and mustache neatly slicked back.
This was Mateo, his butler and personal assistant.
"Your guests have arrived..."
Bam!
Alejandro shot to his feet, his face lighting up with unrestrained excitement.
"And the preparations?" he asked.
"Complete," Mateo replied, forming a small, casual gesture with his hand.
"Good... good... lead the way," Alejandro said, laughter spilling from his lips as he followed behind.
They stepped out into a long corridor lined with towering windows and portraits of ancestors long consumed by time and fate. Their painted eyes watched in silence as he passed, but Alejandro paid them no mind. His thoughts were already consumed by the real purpose of tonight’s meeting.
He had been given orders to investigate these visitors, to uncover their origins and extract whatever information he could during the exchange. It was an unusual request, but not an impossible one.
If anything, it intrigued him more than it concerned him.
At the end of the corridor stood an elevator. They entered and descended to a lower level. When the doors opened, they moved without pause toward the private conference room.
The room itself was expansive, furnished with luxurious couches and a heavy desk placed at its center. A large framed portrait of Alejandro stood prominently within the space, while smaller golden statues of his likeness occupied each corner as if guarding the room in silent reverence.
Along one wall stretched an enormous bookshelf, filled from floor to ceiling with countless volumes. It was the most striking feature in the room, more commanding than the chandeliers above or the wide windows that offered a clear view of the outside world.
Alejandro settled into the space and walked toward the window, resting there as he looked down.
From that height, he spotted the SUV parked below, surrounded by his guards.
The doors opened, and two Arabian men stepped out, dressed in black kaftans and blood-red headscarves.
His gaze followed them carefully, studying every movement, every gesture. It did not take long for him to identify the leader among them purely through presence and body language.
As his men began scanning the visitors for concealed weapons, the one he had already marked as the leader slowly turned.
And looked straight at him.
Despite the distance, despite the dozens of windows lining the building, the man’s gaze found him without hesitation, as though he had always known where to look.
Alejandro did not flinch, but his brows drew together slightly.
He stepped away from the window and moved toward one of the couches. Lowering himself into it, he leaned back, closed his eyes, and waited.
Several minutes later, the conference room door was yanked open, and two figures stepped in alongside Mateo, and everything changed. The air grew heavy, the atmosphere thick enough to feel almost tangible.
Alejandro could not make out their facial features because of the black shades they wore, but he noticed the difference immediately. The one in front was younger, marked by a trimmed goatee, while the other, older and broader, carried a full beard and an imposing build. The latter moved with the controlled precision of a personal guard.
Alejandro’s gaze instinctively shifted toward one of the golden statues placed around the room, as though searching for confirmation. For a brief moment, its eyes glowed red before fading back into lifeless gold, but that fleeting signal was enough to make his expression falter and his heart sink.
He looked back at the visitors, who stood calmly among the furniture, waiting for a proper welcome. For a moment, it felt as though he was staring at giants, and a single question echoed through his mind.
Who are these people?
The presence they carried was not overwhelming, not suffocating, and not even distinctly demonic. It was something far more unsettling. It was the quiet certainty that a predator had entered the room, and that his continued existence depended entirely on its restraint.
The brief flash from the statue had not been random. It was a warning.
Despite the unease tightening around him, Alejandro composed himself with practiced grace. He rose to his feet, a warm smile settling naturally on his face.
"Welcome to my humble home."
He extended his hand and shook that of the younger Arabian, maintaining the smile, though his heart jolted violently in his chest.
It felt like he was gripping a mountain.
Even through the contact, he could sense the restraint in the youth’s strength, as though the man was deliberately holding back to avoid crushing his hand.
Alejandro felt a flicker of anger rise beneath the surface.
What kind of power is this?
Los Hijos del Angelito Negro housed many powerful figures, but their strength was drawn from cursed weapons. This was the first time he had encountered a human whose body alone carried such overwhelming force.
"Thank you," Damian replied, his grip steady, firm, yet controlled.
They released each other and took their seats opposite one another. Behind Damian, Racheal stood in her disguise as the bearded guard, her expression cold and unreadable, perfectly embodying the role.
They were now seated at the heart of the Prince of Greed’s domain. Arriving and projecting strength had been the easy part. Leaving with both their lives and the money intact would be the true challenge.
From this point forward, everything depended on Damian.