Chapter 4

Katarina De Luca POV

The annual charity auction wasn't just the crown jewel of the New York social season; it was a gladiatorial arena disguised in silk and velvet.

It was a battlefield where blood was shed in tuxedos and ballgowns.

Alessandro had sent a message earlier, a terse notification that he would pick me up. I replied with two words: "Don't bother."

I walked into the ballroom on the arm of Mark.

Mark was visibly stiff in his tuxedo. He knew the optics of this better than anyone. The Consigliere escorting the wife while the husband was... occupied.

"You look dangerous tonight, Katarina," Mark murmured, his eyes scanning the room for threats.

"Good," I said, my voice clipped.

I was wearing red. Crimson. Blood red. A dress that clung to my curves like a second skin and screamed for attention.

We took our seats at the front table, the prime real estate reserved for the De Luca family.

Across the room, the double doors swung open. Alessandro walked in. Aria was on his arm.

She was wearing white. Of course. Playing the innocent. Playing the virgin.

The room went quiet. Dead quiet. Eyes darted between me and them like spectators at a tennis match. The disrespect was so loud it was deafening. He had brought his mistress to an event where his wife was the guest of honor.

Alessandro caught my eye across the expanse of linen and crystal. He frowned. He didn't like that I was with Mark. He didn't like that I wasn't sitting alone, waiting for him like a dutiful little ornament.

The auction began. Paintings. Sculptures. Vintage wines that cost more than a small house.

Then, the auctioneer brought out the centerpiece.

The Star of Sicily. A necklace of rare blue diamonds that had once belonged to Alessandro's grandmother.

It wasn't just jewelry; it was a symbol of the De Luca matriarch. It belonged to the wife.

Aria grabbed Alessandro's arm, her nails digging into his sleeve. She whispered something in his ear, pointing at the necklace with a greedy little finger.

Alessandro nodded, his expression indulgent. He raised his paddle.

"One million," he said.

A ripple went through the crowd. He was buying the family heirloom for the mistress.

I felt the heat rise in my cheeks, burning beneath my makeup. This was a public execution of my status.

I raised my paddle, my movement sharp.

"Two million," I said clearly.

Alessandro turned to look at me. His jaw tightened, a muscle feathering in his cheek.

"Two point five," he countered.

"Three million," I shot back without a second's hesitation.

The room was buzzing now. Husband and wife, warring over the family legacy in front of the city's elite.

"Four million," Alessandro said, his voice hard.

I didn't blink. "Five million."

I was going to burn it all down. I would spend every cent in our joint account just to keep that necklace off her neck.

I raised my paddle for six million.

The auctioneer looked at his screen. He frowned, confusion marring his polite features. He tapped a few keys.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. De Luca," he said into the microphone, his voice echoing in the sudden stillness. "Your bid cannot be accepted."

"Why?" I demanded, my voice cutting through the air.

"Your funds... there seems to be a hold on your account."

Silence. Absolute, crushing silence.

I looked at Alessandro.

He was holding his phone under the table. He had frozen my access.

He looked at me with a calm, arrogant expression. *Know your place,* his eyes said.

I felt the blood drain from my face. It wasn't about the money. It was the leash. He was showing everyone that he held the end of it.

Mark stood up abruptly. "Use my account," he said to the auctioneer.

The auctioneer looked at his screen again, looking increasingly uncomfortable. "I'm sorry, sir. The De Luca family trust has flagged all unauthorized transactions for the evening."

Donato. Or Alessandro using Donato's codes.

I was trapped.

"Sold," the auctioneer slammed his gavel, the sound like a gunshot. "To Mr. Alessandro De Luca."

Alessandro stood up. He walked to the stage, took the necklace, and walked back to Aria.

He clasped it around her neck. The blue diamonds sparkled against her skin, a mockery of my marriage. He kissed her hand.

Applause followed. Polite, terrified applause.

I sat there. My back was straight. My chin was up.

I didn't cry. I didn't run.

I let the humiliation wash over me. I let it soak into my pores like poison.

Because humiliation is fuel.

I looked at Alessandro. He thought he had won. He thought he had put me in my place.

He had no idea that he had just handed me the weapon I needed to destroy him.