Page 200 of Titus

He motioned toward the house. “Please. Follow me.”

The estate somehow seemed even more impressive once we entered. Generations stared down from oil portraits on the walls. The marble floors I remembered running across reflected afternoon sunlight.

The architecture of this place was never meant to impress visitors. It was designed by people who assumed their family would still be living here a hundred years later.

We were eventually led into a private library overlooking the western vineyards. Several family members were already waiting, and conversations halted when we entered.

The patriarch remained standing. His attention settled on Jim first, showing me that he knew exactly who Jim was.

Then his attention shifted to me, and I suddenly understood why we’d really been invited. Jim Mitchell might have opened the door, but with my mom’s help, I was the reason they agreed to unlock it.

“Please sit,” Señor Valdéz said in his thick Spanish accent, speaking English as a courtesy. His gaze never left mine. “I believe we have much to discuss about Titus Hawk.”

The moment we sat down, a woman entered carrying a silver tray of coffee, tea, and small pastries, but nobody touched any of it. Not even Jim, which told me everything I needed to know about the importance of this meeting.

Señor Valdéz settled into the chair across from us, while two other members of the family remained nearby, listening and observing.

The atmosphere felt less like a business meeting and more like a family council.

“James informed us that there was concern regarding our involvement in the investigation,” he said, folding his hands and looking at Jim, who nodded in agreement.

“There is,” I said.

The older man’s gaze shifted toward me. “And I suspect Catalina has questions, since you are in a relationship with Titus Hawk?”

I didn’t bother pretending otherwise. “Yes, I have several questions, actually.”

“Then ask them,” he responded directly.

I remained firm and unaffected by the man, who’d intimidated me as a child. “Why would you help put Titus Hawk in prison?”

The room fell very quiet as the patriarch, who was seemingly confused by my question, slowly leaned back in his chair. “Prison?”

I frowned. “Yes. It’s all over the news.”

His eyes flicked briefly toward the others before returning to me. “I believe there has been a misunderstanding.”

My heartbeat immediately accelerated. “What kind of misunderstanding?”

The old man exchanged a glance with a gray-haired woman seated near the windows, who I now recognized as his wife, then he looked back at me.

“We never asked for Titus Hawk to be imprisoned. And we have just returned from Tokyo and have yet to catch up on this global news.”

I glanced toward Jim, and he even seemed interested in that answer.

“I’m sorry,” I said. “You didn’t call for an investigation into Titus?”

“No,” the patriarch continued. “We were simply approached regarding information connected to Herbert Hawk. We were informed that certain entities created by Herbert Hawk remained active.”

Jim leaned forward slightly. “And?”

“And we were asked whether our family had knowledge of those entities,” he said.

“We answered truthfully.”

I frowned. “That’s it?”

“That is all,” he said.