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He guides me closer to Francis’s circle, positioning us just at the edge of the group. I feel Adrian’s hand slide to the small of my back again, his touch electric through the thin fabric of my dress.

“Now,” he whispers, “laugh like I’ve just said something utterly charming.”

I do, tilting my head back in a way that exposes the length of my throat and the glint of emeralds against my skin. I press my palm against Adrian’s chest to add to our performance.

As if on cue, Francis’s gaze swings toward me, his attention caught by the sound of my laughter and the platinum blonde hair cascading down my back, which is exposed from my low-cut dress.

“Perfect,” Adrian says. “But we should give him more encouragement.” His hand moves up my stomach and I inhale, desire pulsing through me. “I’m going to touch you,” he whispers. “While I do, make eye contact with Francis, like you’re thinking of him.”

There’s no time for me to process what’s happening before Adrian turns me slightly so I’m now facing Francis’s direction, and moves his large hand up to cup my breast. The muscles between my legs pulse as he plucks a nipple.

I make eye contact with Francis and do my best to send him a sultry look, but every part of me is only focused on Adrian .

Am I imagining the hardness I feel prodding at my backside?

It doesn’t take long before Francis excuses himself from his groupies and makes his way toward us, his eyes never leaving mine. Up close, his face shows the puffy signs of a man who enjoys illegal substances without restraint.

“I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure,” he says, extending his hand to me rather than Adrian, dismissing him entirely.

Adrian continues our game, fondling my breasts as I shake hands with Francis.

I force a smile, allowing him to take my hand while I bite back the revulsion that crawls up my spine at his touch. “The pleasure is all mine.”

“Francis DeMarco.” He brings my hand to his lips. “And you are?”

“Interested in what you’re offering,” I reply, deliberately vague. Let him think I mean the drugs. Or something more personal.

Adrian senses my play and pulls the low-cut V of my dress to the side slightly, exposing just the edge of a nipple.

Francis’s eyes light up with predatory intent as he glances down. “A woman who knows what she wants. I like that.”

Adrian shifts beside me, the movement drawing Francis’s attention for the first time. “Are you interested in my product as well, friend? Or just accompanying this lovely creature? ”

“Both, perhaps,” Adrian says smoothly. “If you’re interested in a trade.”

Francis grins, taking our bait. “I have a suite upstairs where we could be more… comfortable. Do you like to watch? Or will it be a clean trade?”

“Watch,” Adrian says, and I’m not prepared for how that word coming from his seductive throat makes my pussy clench.

His hands leave my breasts and move to my waist to guide me.

I’m a bit disappointed, but I know business comes first.

“We’d be honored,” Adrian adds, motioning for Francis to lead the way.

This is almost too easy. Following Francis through the crowd, I feel a strange disconnection from my body, as if I’m floating above everyone, watching this unfold like a movie I’ve seen before. The elevator ride to the suite is silent, but Francis keeps glancing at me with eager eyes.

The suite is luxurious and decorated in masculine shades of burgundy and charcoal. Francis dismisses his bodyguards with a wave, instructing them to go on break for a few hours.

“Discretion is everything in my business,” he explains, setting the silver briefcase on a glass table. “Now, what’s your particular poison?” he says to Adrian as his eyes rake over me. “Besides beautiful women, of course.”

Adrian steps forward, positioning himself between us. “I’m actually more interested in the business side. The profit margins must be extraordinary. However”—he motions to me to step closer— “We can discuss business more after pleasure. Don’t you agree, Francis?”

Francis grins. “I do. It would be good for me to… thoroughly examine what you’re offering in exchange.”

Adrian nods to me, and somehow I know the plan without even asking. I start to dance and remove my dress, while Adrian slowly approaches Francis from behind. Francis is so focused on me, that he doesn’t notice what Adrian’s doing until it’s too late.

Adrian stabs a needle into Francis’s thigh and drains the contents.

Francis starts to yelp, but Adrian quickly covers his mouth with a hand. In a matter of seconds, Francis loses control of his muscles and Adrian slowly guides him to the ground.

“For Serafina,” I say to Francis while he’s still conscious. “Remember her? The woman you held down while they violated her?” I pull the mask from my face, letting him see me clearly. “Her daughter sends her regards.”

Recognition flickers in his gaze just before he passes out. Soon, the drug will work its magic, stopping his heart.

Justice delivered. Another name crossed off my list.

I watch, detached yet hyperaware, as Adrian finishes setting it all up. He carries Francis to the bed, then positions a vial of Carfentanil in his hand, emptying some in Francis’s mouth. He stages it so it looks like Francis enjoyed himself too much and overdosed.

Finally, Adrian checks for a pulse, then nods once. “ It’s done.” He straightens, adjusting his cuffs. “We should go. The bodyguards won’t be gone forever.”

We leave as we came, through the crowded party, and no one suspects a thing. Francis’s body won’t be discovered for a few hours. We’ll be long gone by then, the evidence of our presence erased as methodically as Adrian approaches everything in life.

In the car, the adrenaline finally catches up to me. My hands shake as I remove the blonde wig, my breath coming in quick, shallow bursts.

“Are you alright?” Adrian asks, his eyes never leaving the road.

“Yes.” And I am. I feel cleansed, as if something poisonous has been drained from my veins. “Just processing.”

“You did well in there.”

“We did.” I turn to look at his profile, studying the sharp line of his jaw. “Thank you for helping me.”

“Always.”

When we arrive back at Lorenzo’s estate, he’s waiting in the entryway, pacing and looking concerned. “Well?” he asks, searching our faces for signs of trouble.

Adrian and I exchange a glance, and something passes between us—a shared secret, a bond forged in vengeance.

“Mission accomplished,” Adrian says.

Lorenzo’s tension visibly melts. “Ah, grazie al cielo! Mi hai tolto un peso. I was beginning to worry.”

“You shouldn’t have,” I tell him, removing the last of the prosthetics from my face. “We work well together.”

“I can see that.” Lorenzo’s eyes move between us, a knowing smile playing at his lips. “If you two were any more in sync, you’d be finishing each other’s?—”

“Sentences?” Adrian and I say simultaneously, then turn to each other and smile.

Lorenzo bursts into laughter, the sound echoing through the grand foyer. “I rest my case. You two were made for each other.” He shakes his head, still chuckling. “Get some rest. I’ll have breakfast ready in the morning.” He leaves us standing in the entryway.

Adrian’s gaze lingers on my face. “Goodnight, Aurelia,” he says finally, his voice a low rumble that creates goosebumps across my skin.

“Goodnight… Dante.”

He reaches out, his fingers brushing against mine for the briefest moment before he turns and walks away, leaving me with only the ghost of his touch.