His attempts at conversation were pathetic, and if I weren’t still pissed at him, I might’ve actually laughed.
I kept my distance on purpose. Let him talk if he wanted. Let him circle around whatever truth he’s choking on.
I was buying myself time; just enough before I force his hand and make him tell me exactly what I need to know
Let’s see how my plan will work.
Gabriel never told me there was a gala for the Lotus Group. He called and told me he would be late, so I shouldn’t wait for him. I called Clara, and she confirmed that it is tonight. Since I will need an invitation and I don’t want Gabriel to know I’m going to be there, Clara will make sure they let me in.
My dress is black and lethal. Sheer, sequined fabric falls down my body into a mermaid look, covering my skin. I’m wearing nothing underneath it; the attached undergarments cover all my important parts, and the sheer fabric shows everything else. My low bun prevents my hair from covering my exposed back, and I smile as I fix the last touches on my cherry red lips. I grab my clutch and the black jacket that matches my outfit and leave my room.
My heels click on the floor as I descend the stairs, ready for this night to start. It took Renzo some convincing to take me to the hotel. I may have threatened him a little, but that doesn’t matter.
I exit the door, and my eyes trace the building from the bottom to the top. I’ve never been here before. Well, not this close. People pass beside me, and my attention falls on the entrance where a man and a woman in black stand and take the invitations from guests. When I stand in front of them, I tell them I’m here for Clara, just as she told me to. The man nods and lets me in, and I smile as I pass through the front doors.
I look around, and I don’t have to search too much before I spot Clara in her short, sparkly pink dress, looking better than ever.
Spotting me, she says something to the person she was speaking to and approaches me.
“He’s inside, and you never saw me. This is my payback for the other night. If this gets to the don, I may lose not just this gig but the one for the family.”
“No one will ever know, I promise.” I smile. “You look amazing.”
She smiles back. “You too, now give him what he deserves.” She winks and goes back to her job as I take my jacket off and give it to the lady waiting to take it from me.
I take a drink from a passing waiter and walk inside like I’m in the right place. I don’t hide. I smile at every woman looking my way and every man who scans my body, but my eyes search for just one man. When I find him, I ignore the burning rage inside me and pretend like I’m not affected that he’s standing with a hot blonde woman, who has her hand wrapped around his bicep.
I take a sip of my drink, stand at the nearest table, and watch his interaction with a group of people. The woman is getting too comfortable touching him. Someone approaches me, and a good-looking man around my age comes and stands by my side. His lips pull into a smile as his tongue licks his lips, and his eyes land on the front of my dress where the deep V is showing my front.
“Well, hello! Why is such a beautiful woman spending time at this party alone?”
I smirk and bat my eyelashes at him. “Who said I was alone?”
“Because I saw you enter alone, and my eyes caught you the moment you arrived.” A grin curves his lips, and his eyes sparkle.
I smile. “Maybe I’m meeting someone here.”
“Are you?”
“We’ll see.” I smirk.
“I’m Sinclair,” he says with a grin on his face.
I was listening to Sinclair rambling about his current position with the Lotus Group; he is some kind of financial bro. And that’s where he lost me. That was when I stopped listening and started to play pretend to be interested in whatever he wasexplaining about how he invested money for Salvatore Catalano and returned that money three times.
I thought I would die of boredom. Still, I smiled and pretended all while I threw glances behind his head, where my husband was standing.
The music changes, and people move toward the dance floor as the new beat pours from the sound system. My eyes narrow because I never expected this kind of music.
“Oh, yes. Love this song. Wanna join me on the dance floor?” Sinclair grins and extends his hand, and I look from his hand to the place above his shoulder where I can see Gabriel still in a conversation as the blonde moves slowly to the music. “Come on, this song is a must at all our events. It’s like an employee anthem.”
I smile and take his hand. A little dancing can’t hurt anyone.
I actually forget about why I’m here as I dance to the beat. I’m having fun, and all because Sinclair is making moves that have most of the people looking at him.
When a possessive arm wraps around my waist, the people around me, including Sinclair, stop dancing and stare at me. I bite my lip. Now I have his attention.
“Valentina.” His serious voice sends tremors down my spine, and I inhale, just so I don’t melt into his arms.
