Her comment about it made Leo laugh, and he reassured her, “Don’t worry; if anyone tries, I’ll make it clear I’m here with you.”
Luckily, this time there were no interruptions. They enjoyed their meal, sharing bites and laughing about small things, both completely at ease.
Just as they were finishing up, a sudden shadow fell across their table. Mina looked up, startled, to see an older man with a stern expression standing nearby. 
Before she could react, he raised his hand and slapped her across the face, the sharp sound echoing in the restaurant.
“So this is why you’re so hard to reach?” he spat, his voice tight with anger. “You’re off gallivanting around with a rich man, huh? Living it up with your sugar daddy?”
“D-Dad?” Mina stammered, her hand pressed to her stinging cheek, stunned.
Leo’s expression darkened immediately, and he stood up, placing himself protectively between Mina and her father. “Excuse me, sir, but I think you’re mistaken,” he said, his voice calm but edged with firmness. “Mina isn’t here with anyone but me, and your assumptions are completely off base.”
Her father’s eyes narrowed, not backing down. “And who are you, then? Another rich guy trying to buy my daughter’s loyalty?”
Mina’s heart raced, caught between loyalty to her father and the hurt from his harsh words. “Dad, it’s not what you think,” she managed, her voice shaking. “I’ve been working hard and doing my best. Leo has nothing to do with it.”
Leo kept his composure, but his jaw clenched. He gently placed a reassuring hand on Mina’s shoulder. “Maybe we should continue this conversation somewhere private,” he suggested, shooting her father a controlled look. “I’m sure Mina would rather not make this into a public scene.”
Still fuming, her father scoffed but reluctantly agreed. 
*
Mina was stunned to see her father there, completely unprepared for the encounter. Her father had been nearby, engaged in some shady dealings. When he’d caught sight of Mina entering a fine dining restaurant with a man who looked wealthy. 
The sight of her with someone who exuded such affluence clearly set him off, and now, he was ready to cause a scene.
“Look at my daughter, out here with some rich guy, probably her sugar daddy,” he spat out to the restaurant host, his voice laced with disdain. “I’m here to take her home where she belongs.”
“Sir, please calm down,” the host replied firmly, blocking his entry. “You can wait outside if you’d like, but we can’t allow disruptions inside the restaurant.”
Feigning agreement, her father took a seat just outside the doors, his face the picture of frustration. But as soon as he noticed a restroom sign to his right, a new plan formed. 
Rising with an air of indifference, he announced to the host, “Fine. I’ll just use the restroom first.”
The moment he was out of sight, his expression shifted, his gaze sharp as he took in the layout. 
Quietly, he slipped from the restroom, planning his approach to storm into the dining area where Mina and Leo were seated. 
He could already imagine the chaos he’d create—the angry accusations, the drama that would embarrass Mina and draw everyone’s eyes.
Inside, Mina and Leo were sharing a quiet moment, completely unaware of the approaching storm.
The slap resonated through the quiet fine-dining restaurant, leaving Mina stunned, her cheek stinging as her father’s hand lingered, his gaze fixed on her with a twisted satisfaction. 
She tried to process what had just happened, blinking back the tears of shock and embarrassment as she looked up, realizing that her carefully guarded world was on the verge of collapsing.
Her father didn’t seem to care about the scene he was causing. 
Instead, his eyes shifted to Leo, studying him with the cunning gaze of a predator eyeing prey. 
Leo Salvator, with his poised elegance and aura of authority, was a man her father could only dream of associating with—someone who held an undeniable power, a force that went beyond money and influence. 
Leo was the kind of man people whispered about in admiration and envy, a figure known to be as unreachable as he was formidable.
A dark smirk curled on her father’s lips. 
He straightened himself, adjusting his disheveled coat as he leaned closer, his voice dripping with mock respect. 
“Well, well. Seems like my daughter’s found herself quite the benefactor. Leo Salvator, isn’t it? The billionaire mogul, the so-called living legend.” His eyes glittered with greed and contempt as he sized Leo up. “Quite the upgrade from her old life, I must say.”
Leo’s jaw tightened, his usually calm expression shifting into one of steely resolve. He stood taller, his gaze unyielding as he looked Mina’s father dead in the eye, a silent warning blazing within his stare. 
It was clear he wouldn’t tolerate this display for much longer.
Mina’s father chuckled darkly, undeterred. “Tell me, Mr. Salvator,” he sneered, barely containing the contempt in his voice. “How long do you think my daughter will keep you entertained? I mean, a man like you—who could have anything, anyone. Surely you’re aware that she’s nothing but a girl from the gutter, clinging to whatever wealth she can find.”
Leo’s expression didn’t falter, but his gaze turned colder, almost lethal, a quiet storm brewing in his eyes.
 He looked down at Mina, his hand reaching out instinctively to her shoulder, a protective gesture that didn’t go unnoticed.
“Enough,” Leo’s voice was calm but filled with a menace that silenced Mina’s father immediately. “I don’t know what kind of father would treat his daughter this way, but let me assure you, Mina deserves much more than this,” Leo stated, each word sharp and deliberate.
Mina’s father took a step back, his sneer slipping momentarily before he masked it with a thin, calculating smile. 
He’d just realized who Leo Salvator really was—not just some wealthy mark, but a man whose reputation was known even in circles he could only dream of entering.
Mina, meanwhile, felt a heavy dread pooling in her stomach.