Getting info on her background

Sia left the old lady’s office, the air behind her still thick with the woman’s fury. The grandmother had fumed, throwing insults about Sia's "rude behavior," but Sia didn't care. She wasn't being rude; she was doing what was best for her son. She hadn’t gone through the trouble of infiltrating the Alvaro mansion only to be silenced with a bribe.

​"So, the gold digger is roaming the Alvaro mansion as if she owns it."

​Sia heard the familiar voice from behind. With a silent sigh and a practiced smile, she turned to find Carmen, Emiliano’s mother, standing elegantly in an expensive designer dress. Sia lazily ignored the insult, fixing her cat-like eyes on the older woman.

​"Good morning, ma'am," she greeted with an innocent smile. Carmen was not amused; she glared at Sia with pure disdain.

​"You better stop dreaming, girl. Your little tricks won't make you my daughter-in-law," Carmen said coldly. She had seen countless girls throw themselves at Emiliano, but she never expected one to go to such lengths to trap her son.

​"You should take that up with your son, madam. I have nothing more to say to you," Sia replied. She began to walk toward the garden where the helpers were playing with Diego, but stopped and glanced back.

​"And one more thing: you should make your precious son understand that he needs to accept my baby—his baby. Because if the media gets hold of this... well, I’m afraid the Alvaros will face a scandal they won't like."

​With a toss of her hair, Sia walked away without looking back. Carmen clenched her fists. This "insolent, ill-mannered girl" was openly threatening the most powerful family in the country.

​"Something needs to be done about her," Carmen whispered to herself. She turned toward the old lady’s office. The girl was right about one thing: the reputation of the Alvaro family was at stake. If this reached the press, Emiliano’s life would be ruined. They had to get rid of her.

​While Carmen plotted, Emiliano was already mid-workout. He usually preferred exercising at home to avoid the paparazzi, but he was having a particularly bad morning and needed the intensity of the gym.

​His life had been upended in a single day. He had been fine with the idea of marrying Kate—at least that arrangement was only for six months to satisfy his grandmother. He hated serious relationships and the complications of commitment, especially the emotional baggage. Now, his focus was entirely on getting that woman and her baby out of his house before his reputation was permanently stained.

​Lost in thought, he pummeled a punching bag, oblivious to the small crowd watching him.

​"Wow, such a rare beauty. I wish I could find a man like that," one girl whispered to another from across the gym. They watched the famous Emiliano Alvaro, the city’s most eligible bachelor, in the flesh. He wore only a black vest that clung to his abs like a second skin, showcasing his solid, ripped muscles.

​"I wish he’d just look at me," another sighed, watching sweat trickle down his toned body. With his damp hair falling over his face, he looked like a Greek god.

​"Sir, the meeting starts in two hours," a man in a black suit said, checking a tablet. It was Nicholas, Emiliano’s assistant. Seeing his boss was in a trance of fury, Nicholas dismissed the other gym-goers. He waited patiently for Emiliano to stop hitting the bag.

​"Did you find anything?" Emiliano finally asked, breathless. Nicholas tossed him a white towel.

​"I’m working on it, sir. But so far... nothing. There is no background on her whatsoever," Nicholas admitted.

​"Incompetent," Emiliano muttered with a smirk. Nicholas raised a brow and picked up a pair of heavy dumbbells.

​"I’ll have you know my record is perfect. By the way, I was told to ask why you aren't answering your phone."

​Emiliano sat down and drained a bottle of water in one go. His expression darkened as he thought of the person who had been calling him nonstop.

​"Get rid of him," Emiliano ordered.

​Nicholas froze in shock just as a well-built man in a charming gray suit walked in. He had a neat haircut and an easy, jovial smile.

​"Get rid of me? Come on, bro, I’m innocent!" the man chirped.

​Upon hearing the voice, Emiliano grabbed his phone and hurled it at the man’s head. The newcomer dodged it with a chuckle.

​"Hahaha! I know you missed me, but don't worry—Angelo is at your service, brother," Angelo said, grinning. He scanned Nicholas and chuckled again.

​"You messed up, man," Nicholas muttered to Angelo before taking his coat and leaving the gym.

​This left a beaming Angelo alone with an incandescent Emiliano. Emiliano was dying to get his hands on his best friend. Angelo was supposed to come up with a plan to ruin the wedding—but whatever happened at that church clearly wasn't part of the script.