Page 106 of Morally Corrupt

"Why do you think I ever reconciled it?"

"You haven't? Sorry, I just don't really understand. I know how I function because I don't really care. I don't assign the same value to human life that other people do. Vlad is the same. You're not… and yet? You must have killed a couple hundred in your time in the pits."

"That I did." He's silent for a moment before continuing, "You have your purpose, and I have mine. And so whatever sacrifices I made along the road were for that purpose."

"Getting revenge on Jimenez?" He nods.

"What after then?"

The car stops at that exact moment, and I see we've arrived. Adrian turns to me and regards me for a while. I see in his eyes that he hasn't considered theWhat then?

We exit the car after handing the keys to a valet. There is indeed a security check, and they are insanely thorough. Luckily, my dagger is on my inner thigh as they pat my outer. After we successfully pass security, I loop my arm through Adrian's, and we proceed inside.

"Act natural," I tell him as I feel him stiffen. I don't want to consider that he might actually be disgusted by me physically, so I push that thought away.

"There you are." Enzo comes up to us in the hallway, beaming. He shakes Adrian's hand and kisses both my cheeks.

"You look spectacular as always, Bianca," Enzo praises me, and I have to remember to plaster on my social smile. I forcefully tug my lips upwards, and I see Adrian watching me, a smile playing on his lips. He's learning my cues.

"Please enjoy yourselves."

He turns to leave, but I clear my throat and ask, "Where's the birthday girl? We need to wish her a happy birthday. Right, darling?" I bat my eyelashes at Adrian, and he tightens his hold on me.

"Indeed. And where's the special guest?" Adrian changes the topic, asking about Jimenez.

"Allegra is probably with your father around here, somewhere," he answers, and he doesn't seem particularly put off by his wife's blatant infidelity. "The special guest has failed to make an appearance. An intermediary has shown up, however." Enzo seems more disappointed at Jimenez's absence than at his wife's cuckolding him. Odd.

"Maybe we can all get together later on," Adrian suggests, and Enzo accepts before excusing himself to greet other guests.

"Let's do this." I take his hand again, and we enter the ballroom.

39

ADRIAN

Enzo leads us into the ballroom before excusing himself to greet the rest of the guests. We step into the big room, and there are already too many people.I see a lot of familiar faces, some of them deeply entrenched in local and national politics. It figures that Enzo's connections would include the most powerful men.

"I should have expected Martin to make an appearance," Bianca states, nudging me towards the couple on the dance floor. Martin is twirling Allegra on the dance floor, both of them already seeming intoxicated.

"I don't recall seeing your father drunk before," I add, pensively. Martin's always been the stoic type, too set on control to relinquish any to alcohol.

"He doesn't drink in public. Or at least he didn't used to. Clearly, Allegra has changed that." We're not the only people staring at them in dismay. I shake my head and try to scan the room for other familiar faces, making mental notes.

The party is full of older men, most of them accompanied by younger counterparts. Not a surprise there. The surprise is seeing respected people from politics, especially men I'd personally met at the mayor's office. At no point had I suspected they were involved with the mob. This goes to show how deep the corruption runs in this country. And I'd bet that the women hanging on their arms are not their wives. My lips turn up in distaste, and I sneak a quick glance at Bianca to gauge her reaction.

She's as blank as always.

"Let's get some drinks and mingle for a while," she says and points towards the bar at the end of the room. I nod, and we head there. Bianca gets a glass of champagne while I get a bourbon.

"I hope you don't plan to actually drink that," she whispers.

"Why?"

"Rule number one: you never drink on a mission. Just pretend to drink and every so often. empty it into flowerpots."

"But the flowers…" She doesn't let me finish as she pinches me.

"Empty it in the flowerpot," she says a bit more forcefully before turning her head and plastering a big smile on her face. I take her cue and turn my attention forward to see Allegra and Martin heading our way. Both look giddy and flushed from the dancing.

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