The wedding day in Salem begins with a tremor just beneath the surface, a pulse of anticipation that flickers whenever Dimitri von Lochner’s name drifts through the crowd. Guests whisper, not about vows and futures, but about danger wearing a wedding veil. Javi Hernandez and Leo Stark have built a story around certainty: a partnership blessed by time and trust, a promise to navigate life together with a shared spark that once burned bright. But the air around the DeAmara mansion isn’t just perfumed with roses; it hums with a history too powerful to stay quiet for long.

Gwyn von Lochner arrives to witness the moment with a careful smile that never quite reaches her eyes. She carries the weight of past entanglements in Salem like a storm tucked behind a fancy façade. The ring on Leo’s finger gleams, a symbol of commitment, yet Gwyn’s gaze skitters with unease. She questions whether Leo’s heart has truly settled, whether his laughter now sounds a little too practiced, whether the future he’s sketching on parchment is light enough to carry the dark undercurrents that cling to him.

Leo, ever the showman, tries to pivot from tension with charm and lightness, tossing jokes into the room as if to banish the shadows. Javi, patient and steady, watches this dance with a tethered hope; he believes in the future they’re building, even as the room seems to tilt with every breath. The scene feels almost ceremonial, a public display of devotion, but in the corners of the room, unspoken knowledge lingers like a dare: what happens when the past reclaims the present?

Then comes the moment when Leo chooses to take charge in a way that only he can—the moment that jars the room and rewrites the script. He proposes, not waiting for a partner to propose to him, choosing to seal their future with a vow spoken with that unique Leo flourish: a blend of warmth, bravado, and a shadow of desperation. Javi’s eyes glow with a mixture of emotion—touched, surprised, hopeful. He says yes, and the two begin weaving a vision of a life that feels almost too perfect to be true.

And yet perfection is a fragile veil. Just as Leo begins to ground himself in something real, Dimitri re-emerges from the shadows like a storm breaking through a clear sky. Dimitri isn’t a mere echo of the past; he is the tempest that knows every weak point in Leo’s armor, every craving that has never truly died. Dimitri’s return isn’t quiet or subtle. It lands with the weight of a verdict, a declaration that Leo’s heart—though hidden well—still beats for the dangerous thrill they share.

The two histories collide in a charged, dangerous exchange. Dimitri presses Leo, not with soft words but with a history that crackles with shared risk and undeniable chemistry. The DeAmara mansion, already heavy with gossip, becomes a battleground where vows are tested and lines are redrawn. Leo insists he’s moved on, that he loves Javi and wants a future built on honesty and stability, but Dimitri’s proximity rekindles old flames and old impulses with a reckless intensity.

In the tension-heavy quiet of a private room, the truth escapes Leo in a confession that cuts deep: a portion of his heart never truly left Dimitri. The admission doesn’t come with forgiveness or a neat resolution; it lands like a shard that glints in the harsh light—beautiful, dangerous, and impossible to ignore. Just when Leo thinks he’s steering toward a clean, correct path, the room fills with a new sound: the soft, nearly breathless arrival of Javi, drawn by a murmur of voices and the ache in his own chest.

The sight of Dimitri’s kiss, the echo of Leo’s confession, and the glimpse of Javi’s heartbreak hits with a quiet, merciless sincerity. Javi doesn’t roar or demand explanations; he performs a quiet, devastating act instead. He slips off his engagement ring, places it on the table between Leo and Dimitri as a stark symbol of what has been shattered, and then steps away without a word. The gesture speaks volumes: he will not compete for a love that isn’t wholly his to claim.

Leo’s world tilts as Javi exits, leaving a hollow ache in the room