As he left the mansion, Adrián ran into Selene. She greeted him politely, with a faint smile and a tone that blended courtesy and curiosity.
"Do you remember me? We met last night," she asked casually.
Adrián nodded briefly. His gaze instinctively slid toward the young man standing beside her. Poorly concealed hostility, tense arms, clenched jaw… the guy radiated jealousy and challenge, and it irritated Adrián more than he would have expected.
Without saying a word, he nodded to Selene and took a step back, clearly intent on leaving quickly. This was not the moment to get involved with these people; it wasn't his game… not yet.
Selene looked at him, surprised. For a moment, she thought her judgment was wrong: his disinterest was not a calculated move out of loyalty to Katherine, his fiancée, but something genuine.
That caught her off guard. No man had ever rejected her like that before. Her ego—accustomed to controlling the dynamics of attraction—felt bruised and, at the same time, intrigued. She was the one who usually decided whom to approach, not the other way around.
Selene quickly adjusted her posture and her smile, a bit more deliberate this time. Adrián's indifference was not just a boundary; it was a silent challenge, and for the first time, the player had found someone capable of flipping the table.
Without losing a second, Selene took the folder Max had been holding and stepped toward Adrián with confident strides.
"I'd like to show you this business plan," she said firmly. "It's a great opportunity."
Max stayed behind, feeling a mix of discomfort and a sharp ache in his chest. It was strange—almost painful—to see it like this: his plan, his effort, now in the hands of someone else who moved with the confidence of someone who knew she could impress anyone… even Adrián.
Out of courtesy more than interest, Adrián allowed Selene to open the folder. He glanced over the charts, investment flows, and projections. His assessment was quick, almost instinctive:
In Selene's hands, this project could generate between 150 and 200 million euros.In his own hands… with the right companies and shares strategically distributed across multiple sectors… it could easily become a 2 to 3 billion–euro project.
He said nothing. He didn't need to. The difference was obvious, and his silence carried more weight than any comment.
Selene, unaware of Adrián's exact thoughts but sensing his evaluation, kept her composure. Max, on the other hand, clenched his teeth, torn between admiration, jealousy, and a sense of helplessness he had never felt before.
The game was beginning. And although no one said it out loud yet, everyone knew that decision-making power and the scale of ambition were measuring every move with lethal precision.
"Well," Adrián said with his usual calm, shrugging lightly, "money is money. Who doesn't love money? And if it knocks on your door… you answer."
With that, he opened his car door and, with a courteous yet firm gesture, invited Selene to join him.
"Get in. We'll talk on the way to my meeting."
Max stepped forward, wearing that familiar mix of enthusiasm and anxiety.
"I can… come with you too, right?"
Selene stopped him with a quick gesture.
"No, Max. My car."
Max was left behind, slightly wounded, as Selene settled in beside Adrián, her folder in hand, ready to present her plan.
Before closing the door, Adrián couldn't resist indulging in his little training routine: his new "shoe cleaner," Andrew—still trembling with discomfort—stood nearby. Adrián deliberately stepped into a puddle at the edge of the road and looked at Andrew with feigned surprise.
"Oh my, how careless of me, Andrew! Please… could you take care of my shoes?"
Andrew swallowed hard, understanding there was no escape, while Max watched him with a mix of disbelief and contained rage.
Selene, for her part, held back a barely perceptible smile. She could see Adrián's world order in action: absolute control, subtle power, and that touch of cruel humor that put everyone in their place.
Max took a deep breath. Today he wouldn't just learn how to compete within the financial system… he would also learn how to deal with the man who turned humiliation into an art form.
The car glided forward smoothly. Selene opened the folder and placed a tablet between them. There was no rush in her movements.
"I've called the project Aurora Capital," she began. "The foundation is simple: acquire small solar energy and storage companies that are currently undervalued, integrate them with our own logistics network, and sell energy directly to local industry and neighboring markets."
Adrián didn't comment. He merely nodded, inviting her to continue.
"The key point," Selene went on, "isn't generation, but control of distribution. Right now there's excess, scattered production and inefficient logistics. If we control both ends, we cut costs and set prices without drawing the attention of the major players."
She slid a chart across.
"With limited capital and clean execution, returns are between 150 and 200 million within twenty-four months. Low regulatory risk, since we operate with already licensed companies. Growth is modular: we enter through small regions and scale only where margins justify it."
Adrián studied the numbers carefully. He didn't need more than a few seconds.
"It's solid," he said at last. "But you're thinking like an operator, not like the owner of the system."
Selene didn't flinch.
"I know. That's why I'm here."
She changed the screen.
"If you come in, the project changes in nature. We don't just buy generators: we acquire stakes in battery suppliers, secure transport contracts, and take positions in regional banks that finance infrastructure. Capital circulates within the ecosystem."
Adrián rested his elbow on the armrest.
"Two billion," he said. "Maybe three, if it's structured properly."
Selene nodded.
Soon, multiple screens on the car's dashboard began to light up, projecting real-time data, capital flow charts, and maps of strategic companies. Several of the firms needed for Aurora Capital already belonged to the Valmonts or were subsidiaries controlled by their allies. For Adrián, setting the machinery in motion was simple: in less than a week, it would start generating profits. For Selene, the initial phase would take three to six months. The difference was abysmal.
Selene tried to keep her face impassive, aware that any gesture could weaken her position in the negotiation. But her eyes betrayed her; a particular spark escaped, impossible to hide.
"Exactly. But not all capital has to be visible," she continued. "My proposal is to split execution: I run the initial phase, clear the ground, establish metrics and stable profitability. You come in later, absorb, consolidate, and scale."
"And your position?" Adrián asked, missing nothing.
"Regional executive management and a fixed equity stake," Selene replied confidently. "I'm not seeking absolute control. I'm seeking sustained growth and a reputation for execution. That puts me at the right table for the next ten years."
Adrián watched her with measured interest, analyzing every gesture, every breath.
"Few understand when not to ask for too much," he said. "Even fewer know when to step back in time."
"I'm not stepping back," Selene corrected. "I'm building something valuable enough that no one will want to do without me."
A silence heavy with numbers, risk, and strategy filled the car. Each measured the other—no boasting, no unnecessary words.
When the vehicle stopped in front of the meeting building, Adrián allowed himself the faintest smile.
"Prepare a final dossier," he instructed. "If the numbers hold… Aurora Capital won't be a project. It'll be a platform."
Selene closed the folder, fully aware she hadn't secured a deal yet.
But she had achieved something just as difficult: speaking as an equal to someone who measured the world in billions—and surviving the first appraisal without losing a shred of authority.