Tristanâs intentions were obviousâhe wanted Gina to take the hint and quietly disappear. But instead of complying, Gina rose slowly from her seat, letting the cash he had tossed fall to the floor like discarded confetti.
âIn a rush to be rid of me, are you? Afraid I might say something to your girlfriend?â
âWhat the hell are you talking about? Why would I be afraid? What do I have to hide?â Tristanâs voice came out sharp, attempting to sound cool and composed, but a wave of panic had already begun to swell inside him.
When Ginaâs eyes flickered toward Katie, his heart shot into his throat. Before Gina could utter another word, something in him broke. It was as if a dam of suppressed anger burst wide open. His hand shot out, and he slapped herâhard!
The impact echoed like a crack of thunder, followed by a thick, suffocating silence.
Gina crumpled to the floor, all eyes locked on her, gazes loaded with a toxic mix of pity, mockery, and judgment, as if the slap had branded her with weakness for all to see.
Still clutching her cheek, Gina stared at Tristan. His expression was conflicted as he looked at his hand as if even he couldnât believe what heâd just done. But the surprise quickly vanished, replaced by a sneer of arrogance as he attempted to stitch together the torn edges of his pride.
âIf you donât shut your mouth, youâll get another one! Who do you think you are, stirring up trouble over a seat with my girlfriend?â
Katie, now basking in her victory, slid her arm possessively around him. âCome on, babe, letâs just go somewhere private. Itâs just a seat; let her keep it.â They strutted off, leaving a nearby waiter scooping up the bills that Tristan had flung.
âMiss, you should take this. Consider it compensation. No one deserves to be hit for nothing.â
Gina shot him a glare, swatting his hand away in disgust before pulling herself to her feet and storming off. Out on the street, she barely managed to run a few paces before the tears blurred her vision.
She fumbled for her phone, and there was a message from Adrian from five minutes earlier. He told her that something urgent had come up and he wouldnât make it. Fury surged through her. She kicked a trash can, sending it clattering down the sidewalk.
If Adrian had shown up, none of this wouldâve happened. She wouldnât have been humiliated in front of those smug idiotsâTristan and Katie. How dare he lay a hand on her!
That worthless, pampered bratâso hollow he had to use his familyâs name as a crutch to get byâhad dared to strike her. Rage swirled in Ginaâs chest, and she swore she wouldnât let them get away with this.
Reaching into her bag, she pulled out the item she had intended to give Adrianâa paternity test report. Being close to Joelle gave Gina certain advantages, like unfettered access to her home.
Ever since her suspicions were piqued, she had begun investigating Rylandâs parentage. It hadnât taken long for her to gather DNA samples from the Watson family, and the results were staggering. Ryland wasnât Rafaelâs child, and to her utter shock, he wasnât even Joelleâs.
To make sure, Gina had gone further. Sheâd discreetly obtained DNA samples from Shawn, Katherine, and a few others in the family. The results were undeniable. Ryland wasnât biologically connected to the Watson family or the Romero family.
Originally, she had planned to share this explosive information with Adrian, but now she wasnât so sure. Perhaps it was better to keep this little secret under wraps, at least for a while.
As her fury began to simmer down, Gina gingerly touched her swollen cheek, wincing at the dull throb as she headed home.
Joelle had made up her mindâit was time to leave the shadow of her divorce behind. So, she threw herself into accepting every performance gig that came her way. Keeping herself occupied became her way of finding direction again.
One day, she was invited to perform at an elderâs home. Wealthy patrons often preferred the luxury of private performances in the comfort of their own residences, and the pay was more than tempting, so she agreed.
She stood hidden behind an ornate screen, her violin singing softly in the background as the elder hosted guests for a business meeting. The music weaved through the room, creating a calm, almost inviting atmosphere, never intrusive.
The afternoon light filtered through a traditional round doorway behind her, casting the shadow of her silhouette on the screen.
âAdrian, whatâs caught your eye?â someone asked.
The moment that name sliced through the air, Joelleâs fingers faltered, her bow screeching across the strings discordantly.
The elder scowled, his irritation evident. âThis violinist seems far from professional!â
Joelle lowered her bow. âIâm terribly sorry. I need to step out for a moment.â
âGo ahead.â Joelle slipped away through the round doorway, but curiosity gnawed at her. She leaned slightly back, peeking through a crack in the screen. And there he wasâAdrian.
A knot formed in her stomach. His presence always managed to unsettle her. An ex should be like a stranger.
Determined to escape the situation, Joelle tracked down the housekeeper. âYou can keep todayâs fee. Iâm not feeling well, so Iâll be heading out early.â
âAvoiding me, Joelle?â Adrianâs voice came from behind. Joelle froze but didnât turn around. Facing him wasnât something she had the strength for, not anymore. Sensing the tension, the housekeeper excused himself as quickly as he could. Adrian stepped closer, his hand grazing her shoulder. Joelle moved away, arms crossing instinctively as she stared up at the sky.
âItâs about to rain. Auroraâs terrified of thunderstorms, so I need to get home.â
She knew how ridiculous the excuse sounded. But that was the whole point. She didnât want to give Adrian any room to wiggle back into her life.
Just as she was about to walk away, Adrianâs hand grabbed her arm, pulling her back. âDo you hate seeing me that much?â
Joelleâs eyes narrowed, her voice icy as she looked up at him and replied, âAdrian, weâre not the kind of people who can stay friends.â
His grip loosened, and he took a step back, lips pressed together as if considering his next move. There was a brief silence before he finally spoke. âDo you want to know where Rafael is?â
.
.
.