Page 47 of The Wife Deception
"Then why are you treating her like anactualwife?"
"She is."
Mother's eyes narrowed. " Don't be deliberately obtuse. You've given her the yacht to do whatever she wants with it with riff raff. Destroy it even."
Thinking of the billion-dollar-rich patrons of the foundation were 'riff raff' was funny, but I don't think mother would have taken a laugh in her face kindly.
"I'll be there, don't worry." I wasn't planning on attending the polo match. Thalia and Gemma had been trying to convince me to come, but I never enjoyed attending those things. However, being there with Ay didn't seem as dreary as going alone. "I'll make sure no one spills cheap wine on the seats." I tried, but I could not take the sarcasm out of my tone.
"She has a hold on you." Mother declared.
"Who?"
"Aelin. You are different."
I got up suddenly, deciding this conversation was over. Spending breakfast with my mother was punishment enough. "I'm still the same person, mother." I went over to her and placed a kiss on her forehead. "No woman is going to change me."
***
The club was already full when we arrived. However, "full" was relative; Hunter, the owner of the club, was only admitting invitees, and there weren't enough of them to fill the large club. It was an underground parking lot he had turned into a cyberpunk looking club with futuristiclights that lined roughened industrial walls. The dance floor was on the ground floor opposite the bar. The VIP section was on the same floor as the dancefloor, but behind glass cubicles. The third section, the VVIP section, was on the first floor. It was also partitioned into smaller sections by glass walls. The dim blue lights made the club feel illicit in a reckless sort of fun way.
The dance floor pulsed with people dancing to a celebrity DJ, while a few others scattered among the VIP and VVIP sections. I had to give to Hunter. He had found several celebrities. It was an interesting mix of people. You had your regular pop and rap stars, some actors, and a few influencers. Then there was another group of people, much more interesting. One guy I recognized, Giovanni Morelli, was here with his wife, and was pretty sure that the couple was involved with the Mafia. A few of my business associates were here, the cooler, more fashion conscious ones at least.
I wrapped my arm around A's waist. She was stiff and a little shy, which was odd, because wasn't this her scene? The dress she was wearing, though, contradicted her shyness. It was a silver short dress with crisscross straps at the back, down to the curve of her back. The front had a dipped neckline that showed off her beautiful breasts. She completed the look with cute silver strappy heels that a dominatrix would love. I gothard as soon as I saw her and it had been tough not to touch her.
"Come," I said to her. "There are friends of mine I want you to meet."
She was slow to walk as if hesitant, but we made it to the VVIP section on the upper floor of the club where there was another bar and a lot more people than I expected occupied the mini lounges. Emilia, our recent partner in our jewelry division, was in one. She was talking to Giovanni and Simona Morelli. Emilia waved me over when she saw me, giving both of us a hug when we arrived. I greeted the gorgeous Italian couple and introduced Ay to the group.
"Where's Axel?" I asked when I was done with the introductions.
"Down there." Emilia pointed at a bar. "I asked for a drink that I now regret learning can only be found there." She turned to me. "I didn't think you'd come."
"I wanted to support a friend," I replied. "Where is Hunter, anyway?"
"He's with my brother," Giovanni gestured his head to two men sitting at the bar in deep discussion.
"This looks better than I expected," I said.
Emilia nodded. "I didn't think he could pull it off. I thought it was going to fail or he would get bored like all his other projects."
"Not with Dante's money on the line," Gio said. Everyone laughed.
Holding Aelin's hand, I drew her into the booth and we sat down on the empty couch opposite the other three. A table in the middle of the chairs held various alcoholic drinks. I leaned in and whispered, "Do you want something?"
She shook her head and leaned into my ear. "What was so funny?"
The music was loud enough to drown our conversation, such that we could talk without the other's hearing. "Dante Morelli over there," I gestured to the man talking to Hunter. "Runs a not so legal global operation." Aelin frowned, not understanding my meaning. "He's likeMichael Corleone," I added. At which her eyes widened. I chuckled. "He's a great guy and not scary at all, actually."
"And is Giovanni his brother also..."
"Part of the family business? Yes. Although he's involved in the financial, more legal side of the business."
Aelin turned her gaze to the group. Axel arrived with a cocktail for Emilia; she was awed by the simple gesture, as if he had hunted a bear for her.
"You have a peculiar set of friends," Aelin said.
"What about your friends? I've never seen you hang out with them?"
