Julián, who has grown increasingly distant from Juan Martin, develops a close, unhealthily obsessive relationship with Nieves instead. He begins taking her on annual father-daughter vacations the year she turns 14. Nieves begins to smoke and drink, dress much older than her age, and go out to nightclubs well before she is 18, none of which Julián discourages. He delights in the attention his beautiful daughter commands but chases off any suitor who approaches her like a jealous lover.

Violeta moves to Miami for a while to be closer to Nieves, who has dropped out of high school and doesn’t respond to her mother’s calls anymore. Julián has rented out a magnificent home which becomes the center of all his business activities. The city is full of wealthy exiled Cubans, many of whom are his clients. Julián asks Violeta to help sort out some of his business affairs and documents, and she learns that, just as she suspected, much of his work is illegal. Julián reveals he is doing some work for the CIA, which is trying to curb the spread of leftist ideas in South America. Violeta is less concerned about the CIA than Julián’s gangster clients, and returns to Sacramento after just a year, keenly feeling the danger of being associated with Julián.