Page 36 of Heartless Sinner

It was a good combination. Vincent Russo kept surprising me.

I had no idea exactly how fancy this thing was going to be, and if Vince had chosen it because it was an upscale event or because it was the soonest one and he wanted to hurry up and publicly announce our engagement.

“Any idea what kind of event this is?” I asked Jack.

Jack shrugged. “No ma’am.”

Great. Real helpful.

“Could we go for something classic?” I asked the salesgirl. “Elegant, but understated. I don’t want to take over the room.”

She eyed me, all of her gushing gone as she slipped into her professional mode. “Hmm. Yes, I think we have something for you.”

She took me to the dressing room and had me try on a dark green dress, with a dropped waist and a wrap style around the top. “It’s echoing vintage styles and the color makes your blue eyes pop,” she explained. “And it hugs your body without being too revealing.”

I was rather a fan of curve-hugging but skin-hiding dresses. It was a fun little tease.

The dress fit well, and when I looked at myself in the mirror I liked how it looked, but… “This is going to sound really snobby of me, but do you have anything that looks a little more… expensive?”

“Expensive.” The salesgirl’s eyes lit up with glee.

“This is…” How did I put this? “We’re announcing our engagement and I think Mr. Russo wants to… remind everyone of how well he takes care of people, especially his wife.”

The young woman nodded seriously. “I know what you mean. We get that all the time. Men like to show off through their wives or girlfriends. And congratulations on your engagement!”

For some reason, my cheeks heated up and I was sure my face was pink. “Thank you.”

Honestly there was no reason to get so caught up in the idea. It wasn’t like this was because we were in love.

“Do you want to stick with the green? Or go with another color?”

Green suggested money and elegance. “Let’s stick with the green.”

“Excellent.” The salesgirl hurried off, looking a bit too excited—either she was really looking forward to her commission or she liked the idea of trotting out the store’s most expensive outfits. Probably both.

When she returned, she had a much slinkier number, and immediately showcased the name of a well-known high-end designer stitched into the inside of the collar. “This one’s a bit more daring—look at the leg slit—but the beading will give it a bit of flash and, well, if you have to ask what the price is, you can’t afford it.”

I had no qualms giving Vince’s credit card a work out. “Let’s give it a try.”

The dress fit me well, and the salesgirl assured me that their in-house tailor could make a few adjustments so that it would truly fit like a glove—I could have Jack pick it up later that afternoon. I loved the leg slit, and while it was mostly gauzy and lacy, there was strategic beading throughout at the hip, trailing down the back of the skirt, up one part of the bodice to the shoulder, and along the wrist. It really did make your gaze dart around to take in every part of the dress.

The long sleeves and long skirt still kept everything covered decently, and I’d have to wear heels with it, but that wasn’t a problem at all. “I love it.”

The salesgirl squealed in delight. “Excellent!”

And I already knew what to wear with it—the Cartier necklace that Vince had gotten for me. The neckline would frame it perfectly. With an updo and a pair of matching earrings… I’d definitely make an entrance, and I was sure that was what Vince was looking for.

Everything was put on Mr. Russo’s tab, and I took a deep breath as I realized this was my life now. I could go into any store I wanted and they’d either know me or I would just hand them a card with practically limitless value.

Welcome to the big leagues, I thought to myself.

The FBI would all have heart attacks if the general public knew just how profitable being in the mafia still was, and how much money we continued to make. They wanted people to think that the mob was in the past, that our times of power were in the past, and that we weren’t much of anything nowadays.

The diamond Cartier earrings I was about to purchase without even looking at the price tag said otherwise.

I hurried back to the apartment so I could shower and get my hair ready in time. If this was a dinner then it would start earlier in the evening, around seven or so, and I had a feeling Vince would want to approve my look before I actually went anywhere.

Jack politely stayed out in the hallway sitting on a chair, reading a book, so I was basically alone in the apartment.

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