Page 49 of Forbidden Obsession

“Is this a part of your make-believe cover tonight?”

“You’re the only one undercover tonight, goddess.”

She stared at me in disbelief, and I smirked, glancing away in time to see an approaching figure.

“I must say, Dominic, I didn’t expect to see you here tonight.” Riccardo Niccolò held out a hand, and I accepted it with a brisk handshake.

“I apologize for the lack of RSVP. The opportunity presented itself at the last minute.” I glanced at Penelope. “Riccardo, this is my date, Caterina Bianchi—Caterina, Riccardo Niccolò, the most important man in the room tonight.”

“Outside of you, you mean,” she purred.

I stared at her mouth, smirked, and looked back at Riccardo, who seemed to be captivated by Penelope, if the way his gaze fixed on her inquisitively was any indication.

His polite laugh was a farce that I accepted dealing with for the moment.

“Caterina…” he drawled. “That’s a beautiful name.”

“Thank you, Riccardo—or should I call you Niccolò?”

Her pronunciation surprised me, as most got it wrong on their first try.

“Riccardo is fine. Thank you for joining us tonight.”

“It was my pleasure when Dominic asked.”

“Mmmm, and how did you two meet?”

“That’s a funny story. I promised a friend I would join her bachelorette auction for charity, and Dominic just happened to place the winning bid.”

“You’re right. That is funny but not as unexpected as you might think.”

Her smile dropped a bit. “Why do you say that?”

“Women flocked to Dominic like a magnet, but he prefers the chase. To pay for a lady means you belong to him on his time. What could he have done to keep you, I wonder?”

“Who says he kept me? Maybe it was me that kept him.”

Riccardo laughed and pointed at Penelope while talking to me. “I like her.”

I kept my face neutral and remembered why I was here. Riccardo was an ally, but he had a habit of trying to embarrass me since I was a boy. I would punch him in his throat and cut off his oxygen if matters weren’t more pressing. There would be time for that in the near future.

My eyes landed on Vito Cappalli at a table on the left side of the room. Nearing a draped corridor – the underboss Antonio Cappalli exited.

“Can you point me in the direction of the restroom?” I asked.

“If I can get a dance with Caterina.”

I gazed at Penelope, and she nodded. “Of course.”

“Perfect,” Riccardo said, gazing at her like a hungry lion. “Straight to the left, the dim hallway through the draperies.”

“I’ll return shortly.”

Penelope nodded, and I excused myself.

Slipping away, I navigated the throng of opulence, my steps intentional and my mind focused on one objective. The grandeur around me faded into a blur, and in the shadows of the corridor, I found Antonio Cappalli, his back to me, engrossed in a hushed conversation with a cell phone at his ear.

I edged closer with a small device nestled securely in my palm. It was no larger than a button, a marvel of technology designed for stealth. This moment presented itself like a carefully planned mission, and it was important I executed it now because there were no promises that another chance would arise.

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