Page 70 of Sinful Pleasure

CHAPTER19

ALLYN

“Let’s go inside this store,” Ashley said, her voice filled with enthusiasm as she tugged me into another boutique.

Her bodyguard followed behind, his arms heavy with at least twenty bags of her purchases.

Ashley was the wife of one of Angelo’s longest-term partners, and here I was, stuck with her while they did God knows what in Italy.

As soon as we checked into the hotel, Angelo disappeared, leaving five of his men to babysit me like I was some child. Ashley didn’t seem bothered by it.In fact, she looked right at home, too busy spending her husband’s money to care what the hell he was doing behind her back.

“I’m so glad you’re here,” she said with a wide grin, holding up yet another dress to inspect. “It’s so much more fun to have someone to go out with.”

I glanced around the store as she added a third dress to her pile.

“Where are the other wives?” I asked, trying to make conversation while followingher around the shop.

We’d flown to Italy on The King’s private jet, and while there had been at least ten other men besides the bodyguards, no other women had joined us.

“Half of them aren’t coming because their husbands prefer it that way,” Ashley replied, barely looking up from the dress she was holding. Her voice was nonchalant like she’d had this conversation a thousand timesbefore. “And the others don’t have wives or girlfriends to bring.”

“And what is this important meeting?”

She shrugged, flipping through more dresses, her eyes scanning for the perfect one.

“I don’t know, and it’s none of my business.” She pulled a short blue dress from the hanger and held it up to me. “Do you like this one?”

I only managed a quiet nod as Ashley flashed me another smile, eager to rush to the nearby dressing room to try on all the dresses. Her bodyguards, still trailing behind her, exchanged exhausted grimaces, clearly not enjoying the shopping spree.

After what felt like an eternity spent running around the shops of Milan, we finally found time to pause and take in the beauty of the city.

Ashley was more than satisfied with her purchases—if I remember correctly, she had spent around 100,000 euros on clothes alone.

The streets were teeming with people.

It was no surprise, really. Every building and every corner of this city felt like a living masterpiece, so unique and full of history. I could wander around for hours, admiring the architecture, and still not feel like I’d seen enough.

By the time we returned to the hotel, it was dark outside.

I took a long, relaxing bath before Face Timing Tamara to share all the details of my Italian adventure.

Afterward, I had a quick chat with Lydia while flipping through channels, struggling to find something decent to watch on TV.

It was just after eight when I heard the door to the hotel room click open.

Angelo walked in, looking utterly drained as he shrugged off his coat. I was lounging on the couch, mindlessly watching “Friends” when he dropped into the seat beside me, loosening his tie but not saying a word.

He stared ahead, lost in thought.

After a moment of silence, I broke the stillness.

“Is everything okay?”

He just nodded without meeting my gaze, his eyes fixed on the TV. The quiet seemed to stretch on, thick with something unspoken.

“Are you hungry?” I asked, trying again. “We can go grab dinner if youwant.”

I shifted on the couch, crossed my legs, and waited. He still didn’t acknowledge me directly, his mind clearly somewhere far away.

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