Héctor's presence hit like a shot of venom. He moved toward them with the kind of swagger that said he still believed she belonged to him.
Dominic frowned. He knew who Héctor was, and how he'd almost tried to kill Lina. He subtly positioned himself slightly in front of her, his posture no longer relaxed.
"Didn't realize exes got invites," he muttered under his breath.
"They don't," Lina replied, already scanning the room for exits.
Héctor reached them and offered a smile that never reached his eyes. "Lina. You look... breakable."
Dominic stepped forward, his tone all business. "You're not on the guest list."
Héctor didn't even blink. "I don't need an invitation to see my fiancée."
Lina's voice cut in.. sharp, cold. "Ex-fiancée. Let's not play games, Héctor. You lost. Years ago."
"But did I?" His gaze flicked to Dominic. "Your replacement isn't half the man I am."
Dominic smiled, slow and cruel. "You're right. I'm twice the man. Want a demonstration?"
Lina placed a hand lightly on Dominic's chest. "Not here."
She turned to Héctor. "Leave. Now. Or I'll finish what I should have started when I left you bleeding on that balcony."
Héctor's eyes narrowed. "You think this alliance will save you? You'll come crawling back, Morales. You always do."
With that, he turned and disappeared into the crowd, leaving a trail of hostility behind him.
Dominic exhaled slowly. "Charming. Tell me again why you didn't shoot him all those years ago?"
"Politics," she muttered.
They were interrupted by an aide whispering something into Dominic's ear. He stiffened upon hearing the information.
"What?" Lina asked.
He turned to her. "We have a situation. Some people just tried to breach the estate perimeter in Barcelona. Guess who?"
Her eyes narrowed. "Don't tell me it's..."
"Yes," he cut in softly. "Ortega's men."
Lina clenched her fists. "That bastard. He's clearly after me."
Dominic nodded. "Yes, but why?"
Lina shook her head. "I have no clue. Maybe the syndicate doesn't want this collaboration to happen."
Dominic's face turned serious. "Oh, that so? Then they should be ready to have their head cut off... because hindering the wedding in any way would be seen as an act of war. And we won't hesitate to fight back."
Lina nodded in agreement. "Yeah," she muttered, absentmindedly. She was already lost in thought.
Dominic shows her a picture of her father meeting with Ortega, and that very evening, Ortega's men makes their move. It didn't feel right. And even though Dominic said the picture was a fake, why did she still feel like her father was involved somehow?
She needed to find out what was really going on.
"Hey, future Mrs. Romano." Dominic snapped her out of her thoughts. "You have to smile for the camera... don't worry, i have the situation under control. I'll interrogate the men as soon as we get home."
Lina nodded. "Okay," she muttered, before putting on a smile. As the press took pictures and began to ask them various questions about their relationship.
....
The ride back from the gala was suffocating.
Silence hung thick between Lina and Dominic, a silence pulsing with tension—not the seductive kind that had lingered earlier in the night, but something heavier. Something darker.
She sat by the window, arms crossed, eyes locked on the moonlit streets of Barcelona. Dominic sat beside her, one arm resting on the back of the seat, watching her out of the corner of his eye.
Finally, he broke the silence.
"You handled him well."
Lina didn't look at him. "I've had practice."
"Héctor's presence wasn't sanctioned," he said carefully. "He wasn't on any guest list. Someone wanted you shaken tonight."
She snorted. "Well mission accomplished."
He turned his full gaze to her. "I would've handled him..."
"I did handle him," she snapped, whipping her head around. "I don't need you to defend me, Dominic. That's not what this is."
His jaw tightened. "Then what is this?"
She stared at him, fire in her eyes. "You know damn well what this is. This is a lie. A performance. Smoke and mirrors. Don't confuse it for something real."
The words hung in the air. Harsh. Cold.
But Dominic didn't flinch. He was unto something.
Instead, he leaned in slightly, voice softer now. "That's the first time you've sounded scared."
She blinked. "I'm not scared."
"Yes, you are," he said. "And that makes you honest. Finally."
She turned away again, exhaling hard.
When they arrived back at the estate, she didn't wait for him. Lina stormed out of the car and into the villa, heels echoing across marble as she disappeared down the hall. Dominic watched her go, jaw set.
Upstairs, she slammed the door to her suite and immediately peeled off her dress, tossing it across a chair. She grabbed the nearest whiskey bottle from the minibar, took a swig, and leaned against the wall.
Seeing Héctor again had ripped something open—an old scar she thought had healed. But more than that, it reminded her why she was really here. Why she couldn't afford to lose focus.
And yet...
Dominic's words haunted her.
"You're scared."
She hated that he wasn't wrong.
Because deep down, she wasn't afraid of Héctor. Or her father. Or even dying.
She was afraid of caring for the wrong people. She was afraid of being betrayed.
Her phone buzzed.
[Nikki: Saw the gala photos. You two looked like royalty]
Lina stared at the screen for a long moment before replying.
[It was a show. Nothing more]
[Nikki: I know. But it was so convincing, gurl. Did you two make out?]
Lina flinched. [What! No. We've only been together for like 38 hours... this isn't a romcom]
[Are you sure about that?]
She didn't answer.
Because for the first time since this mission began... she wasn't sure of anything.
...
The morning air was cool, drifting through the tall windows of Lina's suite. She sat on the edge of the bed, still wrapped in her silk robe, the remnants of last night's chaos hanging in the air like a ghost she couldn't shake.
Then a firm knock came.
She opened the door to find Dominic standing there, eyes shadowed, tension radiating off him like heat from a flame.
"We need to talk," he said, already pushing past her.
She closed the door and folded her arms. "Good morning to you too."
Dominic turned to face her, jaw tight. "I got something from Ortega's men. The ones we caught during the breach."
She raised a brow. "You tortured them already?"
"I interrogated them," he corrected. "Efficiently."
Lina raised a brow. "And?"
He sighed. "They weren't here for you."
She blinked. "What?"