An hour later, I’m inside the Dior boutique, buying up their latest collection. Afterward, I pop into Chanel for a handbag and a few pairs of shoes, followed by Hermès, where my rep gleefully offers me a limited edition Verrou handbag. I use the opportunity to order two stunning marble coffee tables and a few lounge chairs from their catalogue. The lounge chairs are thirty grand each.
“They’ll look great in my backyard,” I croon to the rep.
I dip into Bergdorf Goodman next and ask the sales associate to bring me a bunch of things she thinks I’ll like. I spend at least an hour there before going to a few more stores.
By the time five p.m. rolls around, the trunk of the SUV is nearly full. There’s a running tally in my head, and it’s well into high six figures.
I pull out the black card and look at it. I swear it’s looking a bit worn from the workout I’ve given it. The goal is to get Rafaele to send me away, not to murder me.
Then I remember the jewelry vault beneath his house. He’s filthy rich, and I want this to hurt.
To put the final nail in the coffin, I go inside Cartier. When the sales rep sees the glint in my eyes, he takes me to the back and shows me their newest collection. A thick choker that’s studded with emeralds and diamonds catches my attention. When I try it on, it looks incredible, the green contrasting beautifully with my hair.
“How much?”
“Three hundred thousand dollars,” the rep says.
I grin. “Perfect. I’ll take it.”
Tiny, who’s been keeping a great poker face all day, turns a little pale. “Mrs. Messero—”
“Cleo,” I correct him.
“Cleo. The don might not be happy about this.”
“You know, I think you might be right.” I lift my gaze from the display case.
Tiny looks relieved. He pulls out a handkerchief from his pocket and wipes his forehead.
I sigh. “I’ve been buying things for myself all day, and I haven’t gotten Rafaele anything. How thoughtless of me. I should get my husband a gift.” I turn back to the rep. “Show me your watches.”
Fifteen minutes later, we walk out with my necklace and a watch for Rafaele, and I announce that I’m done for the day.
The final tally is one point one million dollars.
Inside, I’m doing a little dance complete with pirouettes and high kicks. I can’t wait to see my husband’s reaction.
CHAPTER 16
RAFAELE
Just as I pull up to my uncle’s house for a meeting with him and one of my capos, my phone rings with a call from my accountant. “Don Messero, your wife is… Well, how do I say it… You see, she’s—”
“Get to the point, Carmine,” I drawl.
“She’s spending a lot of money, sir.”
I frown at the phone. “I don’t pay you to monitor my wife’s spending.”
“Of course, sir. I was just doing your books when I saw the transactions go through in real time. I thought it was my duty to call you. We’re talking about a large sum.”
“How much?”
I can hear him swallow on the other end of the line. “She’s already spent nearly half a million dollars, sir.”
I sit up straight in my seat and eye the clock on the dash. It’s two p.m. How the fuck…
“Where?”
“Dior, Hermès, Chanel— Oh, another transaction just came in. She’s at Bottega Venetta now. That one is forty-eight thousand.”
Incredible. Sandro texted me when they left the house at half past ten. My wife managed to spend over half a million dollars in about three hours?
“As your accountant, I’m advising you lock down the card. If I have your permission to call the bank—”
“No.”
“No?”
“No, you don’t have my permission. Her ability to deploy capital so efficiently is impressive, isn’t it?” Cleo’s clearly not going to waste a second of our marriage moping about her situation. Not a day has passed, and she’s already on the attack.
Carmine makes a surprised sound. “Sir? I’m not sure I understand.”
“Leave the card alone. Whatever my wife wants, my wife gets,” I tell him and hang up the phone.
During the meeting, I pull up my banking app and track Cleo’s shopping spree in real time. She doesn’t let up until about five p.m., when I get another text from Sandro telling me that they’re on their way home. I wrap up the meeting, say a quick goodbye to my aunt, and get on the road.
When I walk inside the house, Sabina accosts me with questions about some contractors.
“Where’s Cleo?” I interrupt.
Sabina frowns. “I’m not sure. I think I saw Tiny bringing some bags into the living room after they returned.”
That’s where I find her. My wife is perched on a sofa by the window, a magazine in her lap, and a sea of shopping bags stretched out on the floor before her.
Sabina is still talking to me and not paying attention to where she’s going. She nearly trips over one of the bags. “Oh my—”
I grab her elbow to steady her. “Careful.”
The house manager gasps as she takes in the scene before her.
Cleo yawns, sits up, and reaches for the small red box on the coffee table. “Welcome home. I’ve had such a long day.”
The room is so full with her things, I can’t even see the carpet underneath. She must have been waiting for me to come back so that she could see my reaction. I keep my expression carefully neutral as she hops over the bags and stops in front of me.
“Guess what?” she asks.
“What?”
There’s a wicked glint in my wife’s eyes as she shoves the red box at me. “I got you a gift.”
I take it out of her hand.
Cartier.
Ah, yes, the last stop on her rendezvous today.
The expression on her face suggests she’s hoping to piss me off with her spending spree. What my wife doesn’t know is that I don’t give a flying fuck about her spending my money. I have plenty to spare. She’d have to establish a relationship with a yacht broker to really make a dent in my net worth. But I’m not going to make it clear just yet that all her effort was wasted. She’s glowing with barely suppressed excitement, and it’s fucking adorable.
I fix my face into my usual cold mask and open the box.
“It’s a tourbillon in a platinum case,” she croons. “When I saw it, I immediately thought of you.”
I tilt the watch, examining the intricate craftsmanship. “Why’s that?”
She drags her fingertip over the edge. “Cold, precise, calculating. Don’t those words ring a bell?”
“I’m flattered. You shouldn’t have.”
She spreads out her arms. “I felt bad getting all of these things for myself and nothing for you. I hope I didn’t overdo it.”
I close the box with a loud snap. “I got a call from my accountant after lunch.”
Her eyes spark. She looks so fucking eager. I don’t think anyone has ever been this excited about the prospect of me losing my temper. “Oh?”
“He was very surprised at the amounts on the transactions. You spent more than a million dollars in one afternoon.”
She grins. “Oops. I warned you I like to spend money.”
“You did.” I step closer and wrap my arm around her waist. “I told him whatever my wife wants, she gets.”
The smile on her face melts right off. “You did?”