Page 10 of Made to Sin

“Wait,” I interrupted as we were inches away from the ballroom doors. “Don’t you want to make a good impression? Who would we look like if we walked into a charity empty-handed?”

Marco’s jaw ticked in thought.

“Can you imagine what the other families probably donated? I bet the Bartolos would give the most since Romeo loves to show off his wealth,” I goaded.

With a childish huff, he pulled out his checkbook and scribbled something before handing me the crisp paper. My eyes nearly bulged out of my head when I saw the amount. Fifteen million dollars. Marco was greedy, but he liked the attention, so it was sorrily easy to trick him into writing a large donation.

“Make sure people see you putting that into the bin.”

For a rare occurrence in our marriage, I nodded and happily followed his directions. He wasn’t aware, but I also planned on donating the emerald necklace I was wearing to the auction. It was risky, but by the time this event ended, he would have forgotten that I came in with one in the first place.

Some rich person could display the stunning necklace in their multimillion-dollar estate, and I could count it as helping the cause.

—

As soon as we made our presence known and Marco let me roam free, I immediately sped off to drop the check into the donation box. Money couldn’t remove the pain or trauma of abuse, but I prayed I could at least make it better for one person.

My next stop was to the petite, middle-aged director of tonight standing to the side of the stage. She was practicing her speech, preparing to open the event, when I approached.

“Hi, excuse me, are you the person in charge of the auction?”

She looked up from her flashcards. “Yes, that’s me. Can I help you with something?”

I carefully reached behind me and unclasped the necklace. “I’m sorry, this is really last minute, and I don’t have the box, but can I add this to the auction?”

She gasped in disbelief, but it didn’t come as a surprise to me. It was an absurd necklace that would go for a ridiculous amount.

“It’s a beautiful piece. Are you sure you want to donate it?”

I nodded. “I’m sure it will look better on stage.”

Gently taking the necklace out of my hands, she placed it alongside the other donations. “Thank you for your contribution. It means a lot to us and the thousands of victims we support.”

I smiled. “It’s not an issue. And, last thing, is it possible for me to give you my number? What you’re doing holds dear to my heart, and I would love to help if anything else comes up.”

“That would be wonderful, Miss...”

“Katarina.”

“Yes, thank you so much, Miss Katarina.”

Excitedly, I grabbed a nearby pen and wrote down my contact information. The best option I could find was a clean napkin, but it was legible nonetheless.

My smile widened. After five years, there was finally a moment where I felt like I could stand up for myself.

But I should have guessed that my happy mood would be interrupted as fleetingly as it came. As I was exchanging some more words with the director, another person came up to join the conversation.

Luciano Beneveti.

I rolled my eyes, but the lady seemed elated to see him. “Luciano, how are you, my dear?” She greeted.

My dear? If possible, my eyebrows lifted to the top of my forehead as I registered her loving tone with the most dangerous man in the room. Had she mistaken him for someone else? Sure, the lady had some gray hair mixed in with her brown locks, but to think she had dementia was a bit far-fetched.

To make the situation more confusing, Luciano’s lips actually tipped up. “Better now that you’re here. How are you feeling, Esmeralda?”

The lady, or shall I call her Esmeralda, blushed at his charming words. “A little nervous, but this is for a good cause. Once again, thank you so much for letting us use your hotel. Eda couldn’t make it tonight, but she sent flowers for you by the concierge.”

Luciano said something back, but I zoned out after hearing what Esmeralda revealed. This being his hotel wasn’t surprising, considering the Underworld needed a front for its money laundering tactics, but I couldn’t wrap my head around a Made Man hosting a charity against violence. Something warm settled in my chest at the unexpected news.

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