Chapter 2

February 9, 2024

Undisclosed Location

 The tall man stood confidently, dressed entirely in black, giving him a polished and professional look. His hands were in form-fitting gloves, which added a touch of mystery to his appearance. His posture exuded focus and authority. As he looked out into the vastness of the Universe on the screen before him, he swiped his left hand in an arch over his head. A small translucent window appeared on the large screen. The information brought a smile to his face. “Now that is good work,” he said to himself, beaming with pride. “Forty percent of the population have now joined the game.”

Easing gently into his sleek chair, his heart began to race.

“Time to change another life.”

With a few swipes in the air over the slick black table, the little blue speck rapidly grew till it filled the screen and began to rotate. The twinkling of stars shimmered against the inky blackness. The man, for a moment, lost himself in the infinite beauty of the universe.

The gloved hand hovered over the slick black table, miming the act of picking up an invisible object. It released the imaginary dart, towards the rotating globe. The rotating Earth halted its spin, the dart symbol appearing in the Mediterranean Sea. With a sweeping gesture, the hands zoomed in, revealing the dart’s location: Mallorca. Instantly, a row of rectangle panels appeared at the bottom of the screen, each flickering with rapidly changing numbers. Another precise motion in the air stopped the numbers on the first panel. The process repeated until all the panels displayed fixed numbers.  The sequence was complete. 

“So, who is our lucky number two contestant of the Blank Check?” the man’s voice uttered softly.

A whisper of touch in the air, and the panels unveiled a large collection of photos, newspaper articles and other items.

“Oh, how interesting. I see there are secrets to be revealed. This will be a fun adventure to follow. Good luck, Francesca Gómez. Let the fun begin and remember to Dream Big.”

February 9, 2024

Francesca

It had been two days since Francesca had called in sick. She rolled over and looked at her clock, the sun piercing through the opening in the curtain. “Ten o’clock,” she said as she rolled over and sat up slowly. “I do feel better. A shower and some coffee sounds fabulous.” In the kitchen she started her coffee, sitting down at the table by the window that overlooked the park. Minutes later, she savored the warmth of her coffee before stepping into the shower.

Sensing her strength coming back to her, she picked up her phone to call into work to say that she would make an appearance later in the day. She didn’t want to jump right back into work and find herself in bed again for a few more days. Slowly, she would be back to full throttle.

With a few hours to spare, she checked her messages, replied to a few inquiries and decided to head down to the market for some groceries.

She was startled as she walked to her door. Her phone chirped and began speaking to her. “Francesca. You are our second selected participant of Blank Checks. Please meet us at five this afternoon at the Antigua Palma Hotel to fill out your blank check. When you arrive, the front desk will escort you to the Superior Suite. You can bring a few family members and friends along if you wish. Best of luck to you. And remember, DREAM BIG.

Francesca’s heart was pounding in her chest. Why am I so nervous and excited? she wondered, as she read the message several times. She took a deep breath, attempting to steady herself. “I must call the girls. They will help me to get things under control. Oh dear, they are going to freak out.”

After several phone calls and a quick visit to the Villa della Speranza Francesca, Isabel, Emilia, Liliana and Miranda arrived at the hotel and were escorted up to the Superior Suite. Inside, two men and a woman, dressed elegantly in black and white, were waiting inside. 

“Good evening, ladies,” said the first man, his voice calm and reassuring. “It is our pleasure to begin this global journey with you, Francesca Gómez, here in Mallorca. In just a moment, you’ll be able to write the amount you wish on this blank check.” The second produced a sleek, rolled-up device and unrolled it across the table. On the device’s smooth surface appeared an image of a check bearing Francesca’s name. The upper-left corner displayed a modern logo, matching the lapel pins worn by the three individuals. The signature at the bottom was unreadable.

“Now, Señora. Gómez,” the first man continued, “before we proceed, you have the option to be filmed while you write the amount, or we can block out your name and simply capture your hand. For added security, your handwriting will be instantly transformed into a basic font on the screen. How would you prefer to proceed?”

“I’m not sure. What if I’m not happy with being filmed?” asked Francesca.

“We can film you from behind, looking down at your hand, if that makes you more comfortable. 

“That sounds good,” as she looked for confirmation from her four friends that all nodded in agreement.

“Then it is time. Simply hover your finger over the device and write your amount on the line. The device will automatically convert it into numerals in the rectangular box. Once you are ready, you can begin. Remember, Dream Big.”

The tall woman was positioned and ready behind Francesca.  

Francesca paused, her mind swirling with so many questions as her finger twitched, suspended above the Blank Check. Her friends stood in silence, waiting. The air in the room grew heavy as the seconds ticked away.

“Remember. Dream big,” mumbled Isabel. “Ten Million”

Her finger wrote out ten million.

Her phone chirped. 

“Congratulations Señora. Gómez. You are our second big winner. A new app has been installed on your phone, where a private bank account has been created in your name with ten million placed, tax free. Through the app, you can easily access and transfer any amount of money to any account worldwide. Just follow the simple instructions, and you are all set. Additionally, here are two debit cards linked to your account for your convenience.”

The four friends were crying and hugging each other. “Can you believe this?” cried out Miranda. “It’s so hard to believe.”

The tall woman motioned for the four friends to stand by Francesca. “Here is the video that will be shared on social media.” They watched the video featuring a grand fireworks display accompanied by the message: “Congratulations to our Second winner in Mallorca. Sra. Gómez. Ten Million.”

“Does this meet with your approval?” asked the second tall man.

“Yes, that looks fine,” said Francesca, still in a state of shock.

“Before we leave, Sra. Gómez, we would like for you to transfer an amount of your choosing to your bank account. We want to make sure you are comfortable with how the system works.”

“I can send money to anyone right now?”

“Yes, just type in their name and city. When you can confirm that they are the correct contact, a bank account will be created for them as well within the system. They will be notified once you have sent the money.” Tears began to run down Francesca’s cheeks. 

“Can I send money to several different people?” she asked.

“As many as you would like. There’s no rush.”

One by one, Francesca sent money to her four friends, Vittoria, Paolo and then her parents as she had planned. The phones in the room beeped as each transaction was completed.

Like a magician performing a trick, the tall lady handed a debit card to each of the four women. She then gave Francesca four more cards; two for her parents, one for Vittoria and one for Paolo.

As they celebrated, the five friends never noticed the tall ones leave. 

»

As the girls stepped out of the hotel suite, the doorman standing just outside, informed them that the room was theirs for the night. “This year is turning out to be a dream come true,” said Francesca as the five entered back into the suite and ordered room service.

While they waited, Francesca called her parents, to share the exciting news about the evening’s events and explain the bank accounts that were in their names. Her family and friends were shocked by the news but eternally grateful for the generous gift.

»

Francesca had a few surprises up her sleeve when Paolo and Vittoria arrived six days later at the Villa for their weekly outing. After finishing their meal in the garden, Francesca asked for them to take a walk with her. As they approached the building at the end of the plaza, housing four of the largest suites, she opened the door and welcomed them in. Vittoria, confused, asked why they were there.

“My dearest friends. So much has happened in the last week and I know you have plans of your own with the money I gifted to you. However, I have another surprise for you today.” Tenderly looking over to Vittoria, she continued. “Vittoria, you have been so dear to me. I know how much you have longed to be a resident of the Villa. You don’t have to wait any longer. This suite that we are standing in right now is all yours. You can enjoy living here. Just imagine, you can have all your meals here now. No more cooking or cleaning. We have all the amenities here so that you can concentrate on enjoying your life in style.” Vittoria had sat down as she heard the news. It was overwhelming for her to think that all this was happening to her.

“Oh, Francesca. This is too much. I don’t know what to say, but I will not refuse. For over ten years I have dreamt of living here.” Vittoria, in the middle of her tears, started to laugh. “You’re going to get tired of seeing me every day!”

“I would never tire of seeing you,” replied Francesca, leaning over and giving her a kiss on the cheek. “Paolo, if it is ok with your Gran Mamá, that is your new name for her, isn’t it? Could you run home and pick up some of her things so she can stay here tonight. I have everything cleaned, repainted and spruced up just for her. Vittoria, what do you say?”

“I would love that. Paolo, would that be too much trouble?”

“Of course not Gran Mamá. Anything for you. I’ll be back in a few hours.” With a quiver in his voice, he turned to Francesca. “This is all so unbelievable. Thank you.”

Paolo kissed his Gran Mamá goodbye, walking out the door as tears streamed down his face. 

»

On the last day of February, two weeks after his Gran Mamá had permanently moved into the Villa, Paolo made the Thursday drive for his visit. Arriving at the Villa, he was happy to see them sitting outside the bistro, busy in conversation. Francesca seemed a bit anxious, and Vittoria had noticeably been crying as they held hands.

“What is going on? Is there something wrong?”           

“Nothing wrong,” replied Francesca, “But you may want to sit down for this one. I finally took that DNA test and I received the results an hour ago. It seems that your dear Gran Mamá has been keeping more secrets from us.”

“Really? You are a woman of many mysteries,” said Paolo, smiling as he sat down. “So, what is the juicy news?”

“The results show that we are all related. Apparently, according to the test, Vittoria is my mother,” explained Francesca.

“What?” said Paolo as he looked back and forth between mother and daughter. “So, you’re my aunt?”

“Exactly. When I saw my results, I almost fainted. I called your Gran Mamá and asked if we could meet before you arrived. That was an hour ago. Wait till you hear this part of the story!”

“Ok Gran Mamá, it’s time to come clean. All these years and you never cared to share this little part of your life? I can’t wait to hear.”

Still holding Francesca’s hand, she looked directly into Paolos’ eyes. “I never imagined I’d find my daughter. When Francesca called me an hour ago and asked if the test could be accurate, I knew I had to confess. It was a long time ago, and a very difficult chapter in my life. After your father was born, my husband, Miguel, became resentful of not being the center of attention. His behavior turned violent and unbearable. My father, not tolerating it, made sure no harm came to me or our baby. Before I knew it, my husband was sent away, and I was forced to live with my parents. Two years later, I met a handsome man who had been sailing throughout the Mediterranean. My parents hoped he would marry me and take me away, but one day, he vanished without a word, leaving me pregnant and the subject of gossip. After I gave birth to my beautiful daughter, my parents insisted I give her up for adoption. I refused. There were many arguments, but I was alone and needed their help. They didn’t believe I could manage raising two children on my own. I woke up one morning, just a week after giving birth, and my precious baby girl was gone. I cried for days. I have never felt so much pain in my life. It left me weak and sad. As time went on, the memory of that little girl I only held for a week slowly faded into the past until it seemed like a mere dream.” Mother and daughter held hands, smiling in contentment that they had found each other.

“This news is phenomenal and astonishing. Gran Mamá, I can’t imagine how you were able to lock away so much pain. You truly are remarkable, and I love you even more for it.

End of Chapter 2

Copyright © 2025

Part 11 /14

Target publishing date mid August, 2025