Before I can stop myself, I laugh.

“Oh heavens no, I’m terribly allergic to veal!” The words tumble out.

There’s a frozen moment where Dom’s smile doesn’t falter, but something flickers in his eyes. The couple looks confused.

“She cooks the traditional version,” Dom smoothly interjects. “Her grandmother adapted it with beef. Isn’t that right, darling?”

I nod, but the damage is done. Across the room, I spot Camilla, her face ashen as she watches the exchange.

Way to go, genius. First public appearance after the investor disaster, and you’re already blowing it.

“Excuse me,” the woman says, touching my arm. “I believe my friend Margaret is trying to get my attention. So lovely meeting you both.”

As they walk away, Dom leans close. “What was that?”

“I panicked,” I whisper. “I don’t even know what osso buco is.”

“It’s a veal dish,” he hisses. “And we specifically discussed food preferences in the briefing.”

I look around to make sure no one overhears. Keeping my voice low, I say, “I know, but I thought we were sticking to our real backgrounds!”

He also looks around conspiratorially before answering. “You’ve never cooked osso buco?”

“No!”

“Oh.” Dom runs a hand through his hair, a gesture I’ve come to recognize as frustration. He leans in again, whispering in my ear, and my stomach does that usual stupid thing. “Well, just try to roll with whatever I say, okay? There’s only so much I can remember from the brief you put together on your background. Ten more days...”

The reminder stings more than it should.

“Right," I whisper back.

Ten days.

Before he can respond, another couple approaches... middle-aged, dripping in old money from their perfectly coiffed hair to their hand-stitched shoes.

“That’s Mr. Chung and his wife,” Dom whispers. “One of our key investors. He’s the one we need to impress tonight.”

Oh great. The billionaire kingmaker himself. Just what we need after the osso buco disaster.

“Dominic,” Mr. Chung says, his voice measured and calm. His wife, a petite woman with shrewd eyes, nods beside him. “I was hoping we might continue our... conversation from Monday.”

There’s something in his tone that makes my spine stiffen. Dom’s hand presses more firmly against my back, and I feel a subtle tension ripple through him.

“Of course,” Dom replies smoothly, but I catch the almost imperceptible tightening of his jaw. “Mr. Chung, Mrs. Chung, allow me to properly introduce my wife, Tatiana.”

Mr. Chung studies me with the calculated assessment of a man who’s made billions by reading people accurately. “Yes, the woman who was unfortunately unable to join us for our lunch. A shame. The discussion took some... unexpected turns.”

What exactly happened at this lunch?I wonder as I extend my hand with my most professional smile.What’s Dom not telling me?

“A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Chung. I’ve heard wonderful things about your involvement with Serenity Shores.”

“Indeed,” he replies, still assessing. “I understand you work closely with Christopher Blackwell? Business administration background, correct?”

It feels like a test.

No, it definitelyisa test.

“Yes,” I reply, grateful for a question I can answer honestly. “I’ve been with Christopher for two years now.”