Page 89 of Vicious Heir

I’m allowed to fall for my husband, even if he is a monster.

A young man named Dante is driving Adriano’s car these days. He drops us off at the corner and goes to park. I grip my little clutch, and I can feel the foil-wrapped stick hidden at the bottom. My stomach twists a little thinking about it, and I’ve been such a damn coward about this stupid thing. I don’t even know why I’m carrying it around.

Just get it over with.

“Are you alright?” he asks as he leads me into the club. Other well-dressed couples are scattered all around. Older women with diamonds at their throats, men in fancy suits. Adriano makes them look like peasants. He’s model-gorgeous in a bespoke Italian suit.

“Just a little distracted is all.” I smile and take his hand. “I haven’t been to one of these events in a long time.”

“It’s politics.” He scowls at the word. “Vittorio and Luca are both inside already. We just have to make an appearance and let people know that we’re still open for business.”

“Easy for you to say. You didn’t grow up with these jackals.” I grimace when I spot a girl I went to high school with. She’s wearing an expensive and conservative blue dress, and her perfect blonde hair is up in an elaborate twist. Her makeup is perfect, and she looks hot enough to read the weather. But Marcy Taylor DeLuca would rather die than stoop so low as to get ajob. She’s married to a man named Richard DeLuca, a deeply well-connected lawyer with ties to everyone in the city.

“You don’t have to worry about them now,” Adriano murmurs as the leggy witch spots me and comes over. Her bland upper-crust husband follows after like a trained dog. “You’re with me.”

“Oh my god, Lucy Willing-Morris, is that you?!” Marcy gives me a kiss on the cheek and demurely introduces herself to Adriano. “You must be the husband. Adriano Marino, right?”

“Nice to meet you,” Adriano says, barely glancing at her.

She waves her husband over. Richard’s smile is much more charming. He’s at least twenty years older, with a grizzled smirk and a lanky frame.

“Good to see you again, Adriano,” he says, shaking my husband’s hand. “There are a few other people you should meet.”

Adriano shoots me an apologetic look as he’s pulled away. I’m tempted to grab onto his ankle and beg him not to leave me like a toddler, but I’ve been through worse. I can totally handle this.

Marcy leans in closer. “I hear your wedding was incredible, despite the little fiasco at the end.” She beams at me like a car bomb is barely more than juicy gossip. “Are you here to support Vetrie Milano?”

Behind her, big banners with hot-looking modern models wearing stupid sunglasses are draped all around the Union League’s interior. In theory, this is some kind of designer grand opening for a new brand. But mostly it’s just an excuse for rich people to show off all their wealth and power.

“Can’t wait to get a pair,” I say, smiling politely while imagining how easy it would be to jab a knife into her eye.

“You’ll look so good with them.” She slips her arm into mine. “Come on, why don’t we go try them together?” Before I can stop it, Marcy drags me to a display table nearby and starts picking up the various shapes and colors. “You’d lookso goodin these,” she says, handing me the ugliest pair I’ve ever seen in my life. “I mean, you’ve got the big cheeks for it, you know? Really round? God, Lucy, I’m so amazed at hownaturalyou are. Like, all those flaws. You don’t even mind it. Good for you.”

I boil inside. This is high school shit all over again. When my family fell on hard times and my parents blew their lives up into smithereens thanks to their drug addictions, all the popular and wealthy girls turned on me. I thought Marcy was a friend, at least until she stopped returning calls and texts and acted like we’dnever seen each other before at school. I hated her then. And I still do now.

“No thanks.” I shove them back at her. “I think you need the biggest pair you can find, actually. Better to hide all your bullshit.”

Her eyes widen. “Excuse me?”

“We both know you’re the fakest bitch I’ve ever met in my life. Don’t you remember the way you treated me back in the day?”

“That was high school.” She has the nerve to look shocked. “Don’t tell me you’re still holding on to a grudge?”

“No, I’m not. I’m just remembering what kind of person you are. And it’s clear you haven’t grown up yet.” I toss the sunglasses onto the table. “Great seeing you again, Marcy. I hope your dickhead husband finally has a heart attack and you lose all your money in the stock market.”

She gapes as I turn away. And run right into Adriano.

He’s grinning like an absolute maniac. Before I know what to do, he sweeps me into his arms and plants a massive kiss right on my stunned mouth. Marcy gets a little show before she storms off in a huff.

“Good for you,” he murmurs, pulling me away from her.

“You’re not mad? I’m making enemies. Her husband is kind of a big deal.”

“Fuck that girl. Richard DeLuca’s nothing to me. I don’t care how well connected he might be. I’ll burn a thousand bridges if it makes you happy.” He hugs me against him as we move deeper into the large banquet room. There must be a few hundredpeople here, and I feel incredibly overwhelmed all of a sudden. I’m flushed and my heart’s racing. I can’t believe I just told Marcy off back there.

But I’m happy that Adriano’s proud of me.

“I need to hit the bathroom. Do you mind mingling alone a little bit more?”

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