"Your clothes. They bother me. 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐨𝐟𝐟."
~
Marriage was not for love -it was for business. It was a strategic move that one had to make wisely. For the Lombardis and the Morettis, this marriage was the most calculated, showstopping...
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This was the only kind of formal gathering she liked.
It was the kind where no one had to talk to each other if they didn't want to. No useless mingling and being utterly fake to the people around you. That was the difference between Famiglia gatherings and this kind of party; it was a business gala filled with the filthy rich and upper-class figures.
CEOs, politicians, distant royalty, and heirs and heiresses attended the Annual Cherry Ball. "Cherry" for the iconic yearly ballroom venue with real cherry trees planted all around. The cherry trees were the few out of the hundreds of CEOs who donated cherry trees who all wanted a plaque of their name engraved into the side of the building; the selection process was highly competitive and Angeline had never applied to donate a tree simply because it all felt too snobbish.
The Cherry Ball was always masquerade and that's the only reason Angeline went. She never went to any high society gatherings simply because of her identity but this one was an exception. She got her first invite to the Cherry Ball when she was twenty-one --when her holding and real estate company was starting to take society by storm. Her invitation had been constant ever since and now she was one of the VIP guests because of her recent endeavors as an investor. Of course, no one knew her name and she received her invitation via her company and bank.
When she showed up to these things no one knew who she was or why she was there. Every year, it was the same story. She showed up, people would stare at her curiously --wishing she'd take off the mask but would dismiss her as an Escort or girlfriend of some billionaire. It didn't help that she tended to go overboard for the Cherry Ball since it was the only society event she attended so she always went all out.
She was approached by men often during the Ball and she credited those men with developing her flirting skills over the years. Of course, she wouldn't engage in any flirting this year because this time things were different.
This time, she would be going with her husband.
"Angeline?" Rory knocked at her door as the makeup artist and hair stylist exited the room.
"Come in!" Angeline yelled from her room, fluffing her hair and putting lip gloss in her bag. Rory entered the room, her hands coming to her chest as she took in her appearance.
"Oh, you look breathtaking," Rory gushed, walking over to her and holding out her hands.
"Thank you," Angeline smiled her megawatt smile, sure to make any man fall at their feet. Rory made sure her dress was wrinkle-free before taking a step back and admiring her once more.
"Well, the car is downstairs. Mr. Moretti has called and informed me that he will meet you there; something seemed to have come up," Rory told her as they walked down the staircase.
Angeline was grateful she would have the car to herself. She didn't know what she would do if she were stuck in a car filled with awkward silence for the thirty-minute car ride to the venue. She would've been turned off any other time by his lack of punctuality or effort but not tonight.
