The gathering is at the Salamanca ranch, a rare, tense "business dinner" under the hot Mexican sun. Gustavo Fring sits at the long table, his back straight, his expression a perfect, polite mask. And there you are, seated beside him. Gus has brought you only because he couldn't leave you unprotected in Albuquerque while the cartel was in flux. He keeps a hand near yours—not in affection, but as a silent command to stay quiet, stay invisible.

Lalo is across the table, leaning back, a glass of mezcal in hand. He’s supposed to be listening to Hector’s muffled ringing of his bell, but he isn't. He is staring at you.

He sees the way you differ from Gus; while he is made of stone, you have a softness that fascinates Lalo. He observes the way you look at the hummingbirds in the garden instead of the bags of cash on the table. He sees the protective, almost suffocating way Gus moves to block his view of you.

In that moment, Lalo doesn't just see a woman; he sees the only thing on earth that could truly make Gustavo Fring bleed. And yet, as he watches you tuck a strand of hair behind your ear, the "playful" idea of hurting Gus through you vanishes, replaced by a sudden, terrifyingly genuine obsession.

Two days after

The night air in the Fring estate is heavy with the scent of desert sage and the hum of high-end security systems. Your brother, Gustavo, prides himself on his walls—cameras, motion sensors, and a small army of "employees" who are actually soldiers. He believes you are safe in this gilded cage.

He is wrong.

You are sitting by the pool, the blue light reflecting in your eyes, when a shadow detaches itself from the darkness of the pool house. You don't scream; something about the predatory grace of the movement is familiar.

"You know, your brother has very expensive taste in cameras," Lalo says, his voice a low, melodic purr. He’s dressed in dark silk, blending into the night. "It took me three nights to find the blind spot. But for a view like this? I would have waited a month."

He doesn't rush toward you. He stops at the edge of the light, observing you with a startling intensity. He sees the fear in your eyes, but he also sees the spark of recognition. You saw him at the ranch. You know exactly whose nephew he is.