— You seem to know more than you say you do, Jared. Why can Nina no longer pursue her career?
— Ask your brother.
— Samuel is not my brother. — Dominic says irritated with Jared and gets out of his way.
Meanwhile, Thalia gave Nina her card. Nina didn't want to move away from her daughter, but an international career could open many doors for her, perhaps she would even be able to transfer her daughter to a hospital in another country, where she would have quality treatment and be away from Samuel and the hateful women in his life.
She conjectured, until Thalia's card was snatched from her hand and thrown away.
— Dominic, what are you doing?! — Thalia complains.
— No one would like to see someone else trying to steal from their employee.
— Nina has a chance at a successful career. She can be an independent and well-known woman.
— She already has a chance at a successful career, Thalia. With me! — Dominic says and surprising Nina, pulls her, moving her away from Thalia.
He hugs her around the waist, preventing her from turning towards Thalia and takes her away.
— Mr Dominic, what are you doing? Maybe I wanted to accept Thalia's proposal.
— What proposal? To take you to another country? Where would you be away from your mother and everyone who knows you? Never heard of trafficking in women?
Nina's eyes widened. Dominic managed to awaken a new fear in her. Being enslaved and separated from her family would be very bad, especially at that moment when Hannah needed her so much.
When thinking about Hannah, she remembered that she promised to go see her daughter that night and was very distressed.
— Mr Dominic, can I leave? I already accompanied you to this party, and it's getting late.
It actually wasn't that late, but she wanted to exaggerate a little.
— Two hours, Nina. Remember that the daily overtime limit is two hours.
— And it hasn't been two hours? — she was feeling so uncomfortable in that place that it seemed like a long time had passed, however…
— We've been here for almost an hour. — Dominic says, looking at her wristwatch.
Nina raised her eyebrows, worried. Dominic took her to the VIP area, where there were very few people. There was a sofa, where he made her sit comfortably and then asked a waiter to serve her whatever she asked for, except for alcoholic drinks.
Dominic stood with his hands in his pockets. He didn't sit next to Nina, something that made her relax on the couch.
The waiter asked her what she wanted, but she told him that she was fine, however, Jared saw her and came over and offered her a canape.
— Try this, Nina! It's from the Gods!
She wanted to refuse, but before she could, Jared pushed the treat into her hand.
Nina looked at the appetizer and, after thinking, decided to try it. As she ate it, she realized it was really good and noticed that Jared was looking at her expectantly.
Nina politely nodded to him, not knowing that this would provoke an unexpected reaction from Jared.
— Wonder! Wonder! — Jared says happily and then calls the waiter and whispers in his ear.
A short time later, the waiter returns with a tray full of various appetizers, which he places on a table next to Nina.
— Come on, beautiful Miss Moon! Eat it all! The best thing about these stuck-up parties is the food and drink. Take the opportunity! — Jared winks at Nina and she gets scared, but then she looks at all those snacks and ends up smiling. She found Jared's exaggerated manner funny, and he was the first person there who really seemed to be making an effort to make her comfortable.
Dominic observed the scene, but did not intervene. I knew that Jared had his own devices, he had a habit of manipulating situations in his favor, but he managed to make Nina smile and that made even him a little more relieved.
Nina looked at all the options and saw a sweet, which looked very appetizing and ended up picking it up. Right at that moment, he heard an irritating voice:
— Dominic! Just like this to see you, because he hasn't been to visit us since he came back!
It was Rosália, and Nina, who was starting to relax, tensed her body at the moment. If I thought things couldn't get worse, at that moment they totally got worse.
Rosália was a high society lady, thin and with completely white hair. She wore a well-designed hairstyle and a custom-made designer's dress. He had an arrogant air of a spoiled socialite.
She touched Dominic's face, who didn't move, and looked at her coldly.
— My dear, you look very healthy to me! I thought I was suffering from some harm from being gone for so long. — she then looks at Nina, turning up her nose and then continues — Although there are diseases that don't attack a man's body, but rather his mind. I can refer you to my therapist, dear. You probably shouldn't be in a good mental state to hang around people with questionable behavior.
Rosália said, glaring at Nina and Nina knew that woman could only have come to attack her and had already started to stick out her claws.
Dominic frowned, observing the scene. He was smart and noticed the direct attack Nina received.
— Do you know her? What questionable behavior does she have?
Dominic asks Rosália and Nina swallows the candy that was in her mouth. That sweet came tearing down his throat, which was terribly dry at that moment.
Her heart raced and her hands were shaking. She closed her eyes, waiting for Rosalia's attack. Waiting for her to humiliate her right in front of everyone and expose the affair she had with Samuel. Being able to influence Dominic to resign from her job.
— A lady wouldn't eat like a starving bitch. Look how much food you ordered? You can clearly see that he comes from a low social class that has no education and no manners.
Nina's eyes widened, surprised that Rosália hadn't exposed her. What she didn't know was that Samuel's family was committed to his election and Rosália was smart enough not to put her son in some kind of negative focus. Therefore, despite the desire she felt to humiliate Nina to death, she knew he could not use her past at that moment.
— She's my guest and I don't mind that she's enjoying the good food at the party.
Dominic says, approaches Nina, fills her hand with some appetizers that were on the tray and takes them all in her mouth and chews.
Rosália closes her eyes and trembles, disgusted by Dominic's behavior.
— That's not what I taught you, Dominic! — she scolds, losing control.
Nina finds their interaction strange and looks at Jared, who was laughing, watching the scene. Probably having fun with Rosalia's lack of control and Dominic's provocation.
Rosália takes a deep breath, controlling herself and then says:
— Look, I came here to invite you to have tea at my house. I'm going to invite some beautiful young women that I know. You've just arrived and you probably haven't seen yet that there are better options out there, options that are at your level. — Rosália says, looking at Nina with hostility.
Nina gets up, ready to put an end to the misunderstanding and make Rosália stop attacking her.
— Look, Dominic and I don't…
At that moment, Nina is surprised, with a slap in the face.
— Don't come near me, damn you! — Rosália was trying to control herself, but the hatred she felt instantly surfaced as soon as Nina approached.
Nina puts her hand on her face, and Dominic helps her.
—But what is happening? Why did you do that? — he says to Rosália, placing Nina behind him, protecting her. As she placed her hand on her face, she noticed that some people were looking at the situation.
— Dominic, are you blind? Everyone here has already realized that this woman is a bitch! Who comes to a party for classy people, dressed in such a vulgar way?!
— I gave her this dress as a gift and she doesn't look vulgar at all. You don't control my life, Rosalia.
— Is this how you talk to your mother?
— Mother?! — Nina comes out from behind Dominic, her eyes wide. — No no…
Nina walks, bewildered. I couldn't believe that Dominic could be related to Samuel. From one moment to the next, things became even worse, and that day was a complete disaster in his life.
— Nina, come back here! — Dominic runs over and grabs her arm.
Jared also runs and the two face Nina, who seems completely bewildered.
— Nina, Rosália is not Dominic's mother, okay? He'll explain everything to you, won't he? — Jared looks at Dominic, showing that he had suddenly changed his mood and now seemed apprehensive.
—What does Rosália have against you, Nina? — Dominic asks. Now he was more convinced that there was something between Nina and Samuel that everyone was hiding from him. Jared, who seemed to be in control, at that moment looked apprehensive. Dominic wondered why Nina finding out that Rosalia could be some kind of his mother could make Jared spiral out of control.
— Look... I'm going to the bathroom, please don't follow me!
Nina lets go and walks away, entering the middle of the party. That information changed many things. If Dominic had any kind of relationship with Samuel, working for him was no longer her desire.
She reached the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror, still trying to absorb all the information.
She had to decide at that moment what to do and resigning seemed to be the best decision.