Page 160 of Dream Chaser

I was wrong on both accounts.

“Hey.” Nova rested her palms on my chest, blue eyes soft as she slid her fingers over the lapels of my suit jacket. “Remember what I told you? I’ll support you no matter what. But if you want to put him in his place, today’s a great day for that. You’re the smartest man I know. You’ve poured everything into the agency. Honestly, screw him for trying to steal what cost you so much hard work.”

I brushed my knuckles over her cheek. Luckily, the bruise had faded. “Hard not to believe in myself after those words.”

“I just told you the truth.” Nova pressed a quick kiss to my jaw. “I need to find Kaia. See you at the hotel later?”

“Sure, amor.”

She backtracked, holding my gaze, then disappeared into the crowd.

My eyes darted to Asher, then to the press center. Was Ignacio still there?

Fuck it. I wasn’t the same starry-eyed kid who’d once looked up to him. I moved before I had a chance to overthink, my resolute footsteps echoing on the asphalt. Only a few men in suits lingered by the press center’s entrance. Ignacio was one of them.

Ignoring the churn in my stomach, I moved closer. “Ignacio.”

“Alejandrito.” A fake smile stretched across his tanned face. The old nickname was meant to remind me of my place, but awareness slipped through the pretense. He clapped me on the shoulder, then gave his companions an apologetic nod. “I’ll see you later. Alejandro and I need to talk.”

Alejandro needed to talk—he just had to listen. And hopefully, take my words seriously.

I leveled Ignacio with the sternest look I could manage. “You crossed too many lines.”

“Vaya.” He folded his arms. “No es lo que esperaba de ti.”

That wasn’t what I expected from you?

He expected Alejandrito who gave him nothing but adoration and obedience. Instead, he’d get Alejandro Guerrero, the owner of the best sports agency in Spain, who’d had enough of his bullshit.

“Remember you told me to make clients trust me? I took your advice. They trust me enough to tell me you offered to represent them.”

A shrug rolled over Ignacio’s shoulders. He flicked lint off his navy blue suit, his face an indifferent mask. “That’s business. They’re free to choose the best offer. I had to shoot my shot. Don’t be a hypocrite. You would’ve done the same.”

“I also remember another thing you taught me,” I said. “Every decision in this business creates a paper trail. Calls. Emails. Promises. Inducing breach of contract has gotten more than one person in trouble. Wouldn’t want you to be one of them.”

Ignacio’s disbelieving laughter rang in the cool air. “Are you trying to scare me?”

“No. I’m trying to save you from being surprised. Compete with me all you like. Win clients. Lose clients. That’s fair play. But persuading someone to walk away from a binding contract isn’t quite the same thing.”

“Those are serious accusations without proof.”

“Lucky for me, I’ve got plenty.”

Ignacio let out a sound somewhere between a huff and a snort. Maybe it was age. Maybe it was time and distance. Whatever the reason, I was finally seeing the real, unpolished version of him.

A man who was getting old and feared becoming irrelevant. No family, only the child he refused to acknowledge who would never call him dad. On the surface, he had it all. In reality, he lacked the most important things.

“I need to go.” There was no point in continuing this conversation.

Ignacio sighed. “I never understood why you took sides with someone who was nothing to you.”

“My conscience lets me sleep at night, Ignacio,” I said, equal parts resigned and weary. “Can you say the same about yours?”

He kept quiet. Maybe I hit a nerve, or maybe it was wishful thinking.

Either way, it was over. For good.

***