Catalina's POV
"They're telling her tonight."
I said the words out loud, standing in the empty conference room with Dominic, both of us staring at my phone in horror.
The blackmailer was going to expose us. Tonight.
"We need to tell her first," Dominic said, his voice tight. "Before they do."
"Tell her what? That we've been lying for months? That I've been sneaking around with her brother while helping plan her wedding?" My voice cracked. "She'll hate us either way."
My phone rang.
Sofia.
Dominic and I looked at each other. This was it. She knew. The blackmailer had already told her.
My hand shook as I answered. "Hello?"
"Cat! Finally! I've been calling you all day!" Sofia's voice was bright. Happy. Not angry.
Maybe she didn't know yet?
"Sorry. Busy day. What's up?"
"Bachelorette party planning! We need to lock down dates. Are you free next Friday?"
Relief flooded through me. She didn't know. Not yet.
"Um. Yeah. Friday works."
"Perfect! I'm making a group chat with all the girls. This is going to be so fun!"
We talked for a few more minutes about party details. Normal stuff. Best friend stuff.
I almost believed everything was okay.
Then Sofia's voice changed.
"Hey, Cat? Can I ask you something?"
My stomach dropped. "Of course."
"It's about Dom."
Everything inside me went cold.
"What about him?" I tried to sound casual.
"He's been different lately. Happier. Like the old Dominic before Lauren died." Sofia paused. "Mom thinks he's finally healing. But I'm worried he's seeing someone and keeping it secret."
I couldn't breathe.
"Why would you think that?" My voice sounded strange even to my own ears.
"Little things. He's on his phone all the time. Smiling randomly. Leaving work early. Making excuses not to hang out." Sofia laughed, but it sounded forced. "That would be weird, right? If he was hiding a girlfriend?"
"Really weird," I managed.
"I mean, I'd be happy for him. But why would he keep it secret from me? We're family. We tell each other everything."
The guilt was crushing. Suffocating.
"Maybe he's just not ready to share yet," I said carefully.
"Maybe." Sofia was quiet for a moment. "You'd tell me if you knew something about Dom, right? We're best friends. No secrets."
The lie felt like swallowing glass. "Of course. No secrets."
But even as I said it, my phone buzzed with a text.
From Dominic.
Dominic: Need to see you tonight. My place. Parents gone until midnight.
I stared at the message, Sofia still talking in my ear about party decorations.
"Cat? You there?"
"Yeah! Sorry. Just distracted."
"You've been distracted a lot lately." Sofia's voice was concerned. "Is everything okay? You'd tell me if something was wrong, right?"
She kept asking if I'd tell her. Like she suspected but wanted me to confess first.
Did she already know?
"Everything's fine," I lied. "Just tired."
We hung up a few minutes later. I stood alone in the conference room, Dominic's text burning on my screen.
Going to his house was insane. Risky. Exactly what the blackmailer was watching for.
But we only had hours before they exposed us. Maybe this was our last chance to be together before everything exploded.
I texted back: I'll be there at 8.
At seven-thirty, I sat in my car outside the Castellano estate, hands gripping the steering wheel.
This was a terrible idea.
But I started the car anyway.
I parked far from the main house, hidden behind the old pool house where no one would see. The mansion was mostly dark except for one light on the second floor.
Dominic's room.
My phone buzzed.
Unknown: Going to see him? Bold choice. Sofia's going to love hearing about this.
They were watching. Right now.
I looked around wildly, but the estate was massive. They could be anywhere.
Another text from Dominic: Side entrance. It's unlocked.
I shouldn't go inside. I should drive away. End this before it destroyed everything.
But my feet were already moving.
I crept through the shadows toward the side entrance, my heart pounding so hard I thought it might explode. Every sound made me jump. Every shadow looked like someone watching.
The door opened before I could knock.
Dominic.
He pulled me inside quickly, locking the door behind us. We stood in the dark hallway, both breathing hard.
"You came," he whispered.
"I shouldn't have—"
"But you did." His hand cupped my face. "We have four hours. Just four hours before my parents get home."
"Dominic, the blackmailer is watching—"
"I don't care." His voice was fierce. "Let them watch. Let them tell everyone. I'm tired of hiding you."
"You don't mean that—"
"I do." He pulled me closer. "I love you, Cat. And I'm done pretending I don't."
The words stole my breath.
He'd never said it before. Not like this. Not so directly.
"You love me?" My voice cracked.
"Since the night in the wine cellar. Maybe longer. Maybe always." His forehead pressed against mine. "I tried to fight it. Tried to protect you from the fallout. But I can't anymore. I love you."
Tears streamed down my face. "I love you too. I've loved you since I was eight years old."
He kissed me then. Desperate and sweet and full of everything we'd been holding back.
My phone buzzed in my pocket. We both ignored it.
It buzzed again. And again.
Finally, I pulled it out.
Seven texts. All from the same unknown number.
Photos. Of me entering the estate. Walking to the side door. Dominic pulling me inside.
The final message made my blood freeze:
Unknown: Perfect. Got everything I needed. Sofia gets these in 10 minutes. Better say goodbye now. This is your last night together.
I showed Dominic with shaking hands.
His face went pale. "Ten minutes."
"They're sending them to Sofia. Right now."
We stared at each other in horror.
Then we heard it.
A car in the driveway.
But Dominic's parents weren't supposed to be home until midnight.
Dominic looked out the window and his face went white.
"That's not my parents," he whispered.
"Then who—"
"It's Sofia's car."
My entire world stopped.
Sofia was here. Now.
And in nine minutes, she was going to get photos of me sneaking into her brother's house.
We were out of time.