I nodded slowly. “They took everything from me. And I want to make them pay.”
Hector studied me for a long moment, then stepped forward. “You're not the only one who has unfinished business with them.”
My chest tightened, but I met his gaze with unwavering determination. “What do you mean?”
Hector’s jaw tightened slightly, his dark eyes narrowing. “The De Santis family owes me more than just money. They owe me a debt that can never be repaid. And Antonio Russo? He’s just another piece of the filth tied to them.”
Hera’s lips pressed into a thin line, but she didn’t interrupt as Hector continued. “You want revenge, Alicia? Then you’re going to have to cooperate with me. Because I want the exact same thing.”
A shiver ran down my spine. This wasn’t just about me anymore. Hector had his own vendetta, one that ran deeper than I could understand. And yet, I could feel the intensity in his words, the weight behind them.
He walked toward me, his presence looming, and then he extended his hand.
“But if you want true revenge, you have to forget Alicia Costa. That name is already known to them. After what they’ve done to you, they probably already think you’re dead. Or, if they found out you had escaped, I am certain that they will be watching, and waiting for you to make a move. So, as long as you remain as Alicia, you will never get close enough to destroy them.”
My pulse raced, my breath shallow as his words sank in. Forget Alicia Costa? Bury who I was? My entire life, my identity—gone?
Hector’s voice was calm, but it held an undeniable finality. “You need to become someone else. Someone untouchable. A woman they would never see coming. You need a new identity, a new life, a new purpose.”
I clenched my fists, swallowing down the last remnants of hesitation. If this was what it took, if this was the price I had to pay to make them suffer as I had suffered—then so be it.
Hector’s lips curled into a smirk, his dark eyes gleaming. “You will become Francheska Falcon. My wife. My dead wife.”
My breath caught in my throat. I had lost everything. I had nothing left to lose. And yet, this offer... this deception...
It was my only way forward.
I reached out and took his hand.
And with that, my vengeance will begin.