"Honey, Carina is so lucky to have a mother like you. And I'm so lucky to have a wife like you. We really hit the jackpot."
I pulled my hands free, swallowed the nausea, and smiled. "Carina has sensitive skin and she's picky about food. Everything she eats, wears, and uses has to be the best. I'll have my assistant deposit five hundred thousand into the family account. You two go enjoy yourselves."
Dante was beside himself with joy. He leaned in and kissed my forehead. "Then I'll leave the birthday celebration planning to you, honey. When we get back from the trip, we'll celebrate as a family."
He stood, grabbed the suitcase that had already been waiting by the door, said something about scouting the location ahead of time, scooped Carina into his arms, and hurried out.
He could barely contain his eagerness to run to Serafina with the good news.
The door swung open and shut. Through the narrowing gap, I caught one last glimpse of Carina's face, twisted into a sneer she hadn't bothered to put away in time.
The room went dead silent. Just like my heart.
I let the smile fall. I set down my spoon and calmly wiped my mouth.
Then I grabbed my car keys and followed them out.
Kingsgate. A gated enclave where a square foot of property cost more than most soldiers earned in a year. In a second-tier city like this, it was the kind of address ordinary people couldn't dream of affording. The kind of address funded with money skimmed from Montecarlo operations.
I parked under the shade of a tree not far from the villa and waited ten minutes.
Dante had just stepped out of the car with Carina in his arms when Serafina came jogging out of the villa in the latest Chanel haute couture, throwing herself into his embrace.
"Honey, that old hag doesn't suspect anything, does she?"
Dante kissed her on the cheek, his tone dripping with mockery. "Relax. That woman is dumb as a rock. Easiest mark I've ever seen. I asked for three hundred grand, and she wired five hundred thousand, practically falling over herself to thank us for taking it. I've never met anyone so pathetic. Flash her a little warmth and she'd crawl on her knees to hand over every last dollar to me and the kid."