Chapter 29: The Bid

Club Fyre was so loud I had to yell to be heard over the music, but I told Sky and my friends everything I’d discovered on Owen’s computer, from the years of cheating to his and Max’s embezzlement. They were understandably shocked.

“That jerk!” Nadine exclaimed.

“We’re with you,” Rachel said, and Emily nodded.

“Thanks, ladies.” I turned to Sky. “I need your help with something.”

“Anything,” she said, her voice earnest.

“Can you do some sleuthing and find out more about Max’s involvement in the embezzlement scheme? I need to know how much he participated in and what was done. If you can also get me something that will put him away, that would be perfect.”

Sky nodded. “I can do that. But how can I get close to him?”

I had to think about that for a second, but then it hit me. “Tomorrow evening, Lush Productions is holding day one of three of a fundraiser at our main building. It’s the same building where Owen, Max, and I each hold an office. They’ll be auctioning off dates with several women then, and I can let you in. I have an excuse to be there because I’m one of the ladies being auctioned, so you can be my plus one.”

I’d entered myself last week when I was especially mad at Owen. It was my way of rebelling against him, and he couldn’t say anything about it because “it’s a fundraiser. It doesn’t mean anything.” His jealousy wouldn’t be able to treat it as nothing, even if whoever won a date with me would probably be repulsive.

“Perfect.” She grinned, a dubious look in her eyes. “Let’s bring these suckers down.”

We had a few more drinks after that, but then it was time to go home. I was thoroughly drunk, so I took a cab to the beach house. When I got inside, I noticed I had a text from Luca.

“How about a date tomorrow?” it read.

“Hm. Tempting,” I responded, “but I can’t. I’ll be at a fundraiser at my main office. You’re welcome to come to that, though.” Winky face.

Drunk me didn’t regret that text one bit. Sober me would regret it in the morning. But for now, I was going to flirt, and I was unashamed about that. Screw Owen.

“You’re on. What should I wear?”

“Your best suit and a fedora. You know, because you’re a gangster.” I giggled at my own dumb joke. I was totally going to regret this in the morning.

“Oh no, I’m a reformed gangster now, remember?” Winky face. “And an actor.”

“And a savior. Don’t forget that.” I smiled at the memory of how Luca rescued me from those awful men.

“Only sometimes. Speaking of that, how’s the arm?”

I glanced down at where I’d been cut during the scuffle at the Dewdrop Mart. “All healed up.”

“Good. Well, I need to get to bed, beautiful. Got a fedora to hunt down tomorrow, after all.” Heart emoji.

“Good night.”

“’Night, gorgeous.”

I couldn’t stop the grin that formed at his words.

* * *

The next morning, I reread our texts and groaned. Had I really invited Luca to the auction? It would be rude to uninvite him, but I considered it for a moment.

I spent most of the day looking over the video evidence Sky obtained and coordinating with my divorce attorney. The footage showed Sky speaking into the camera about how she heard Owen Wilde visits Club Fyre often and that she was going to see if she could help me by recording him hitting on women.

Then it skipped to her at Club Fyre, watching Owen flirt with various attractive women before she sat next to him. She pretended not to notice him until he bought her a drink and started flirting. Then she didn’t reject his advances. He eventually invited her back to his “mansion.”

We had a large home, but it was a four-story home in the suburbs, by no means a mansion. We’d both agreed when we got married that we didn’t need all that. He was trying to impress her by calling it such a thing.

The drive to our home involved him touching her leg often and detailing all the things he planned to do to her. Sky, to her credit, acted enthused, although you could see her flinching away from the touches.

By the time I finished watching the footage, I was disgusted and angry all over again. My lawyer said this will help our case, though. I guessed that was what mattered in the end.

When it was time to get ready for the auction, I put on a lavender dress with spaghetti straps that fell to my mid-thigh, accompanied by a white purse and a sparkly white shrug jacket. I finished the look with some strappy heels. It was important to go for a look that would result in more bids since this was a fundraising auction, so I was showing a lot of leg.

I took a cab to my Mercedes and drove to Lush Productions. Sky was already there. She wore a sky-blue dress that was floor length and a beautiful diamond necklace that fell just above her cleavage. She’d curled her hair and pinned it up.

“Ready?” I asked.

“Yeah. Let’s do this.” She gestured for me to lead the way, and I walked up the stone steps to the grand front doors of our skyscraper.

I showed Sky where to meet me before leading her to Max’s office. “When you’re done, come back downstairs,” I said.

The fundraiser was to be held in the ballroom, which we only used for these sorts of events. Dozens of round tables with white tablecloths were scattered about the room, and golden centerpieces adorned each one. The walls had golden accents, and gold balloons dotted the space.

There were several faces I knew, including Sean, Max, and even Owen, though I stayed far away from him. Across the room, I locked eyes with Luca. The man had actually found a fedora and wore it proudly. The corners of his lips turned up in his signature cocky smirk when he saw me, and he tipped his hat.

Before he could approach me, the host spoke into his microphone. “May I please have everyone’s attention? We’re about to begin the auction. Could I have the ladies who will be participating fill this line of chairs, and everyone else, please sit.” He pointed to a line of chairs next to the stage.

I made my way up to the seats with the other women. There were eight of us in total. Hannah, the secretary Owen screwed in my office, was seated next to me. She smiled at me, and it took everything in me not to scowl at her. As if I didn’t know what she’d done behind my back, and she had the nerve to smile to my face.

I was first up, which was either a blessing or a curse.

“Alright, gentleman,” the host said, “we have our first auction. Let’s hear it for Fay Lush!” Polite applause filled the room as I ascended the dais to let these men gawk at me. “Can we start the bidding off at five hundred dollars?”

A man in the back, whom I didn’t know, raised his paddle.

“Five hundred,” the auctioneer said. “Do I hear six hundred?”

“One thousand dollars,” called a familiar voice, and I turned to see Sean raising his paddle.

“Two thousand,” called another. Luca.

“Two thousand,” said the host. “Do I hear twenty-five hundred?”

“Three thousand five hundred,” called Sean.

Owen, thankfully, did not bid on me, but Sean and Luca seemed to be in a bidding war.

“Ten thousand dollars,” Luca shouted.

“Ten thousand,” the host said into the microphone, brows raised. “Do I hear eleven thousand dollars?”

I glanced at Sean. He was looking at the auctioneer. Sean shook his head.

“Ten thousand, going once. Twice. Sold!”

Oh no. I shouldn’t have invited Luca. He’d finally gotten that date he’d been asking for. I turned and looked at his smug face as I descended the steps to take my place at one of the tables. He strode across the room like the champion of a tournament and sat next to me.

“I can’t believe you bid ten thousand dollars for one date with me,” I said. “I’d reprimand you if this wasn’t a fundraiser.”

“What can I say? I wouldn’t have stopped bidding, no matter the price. You’re worth it.” He took one of the drinks a server carried on a platter.

“I honestly don’t know what to say to that.”

“Don’t say anything, babe. Just accept it.” He sipped his drink.

“I told you not to call me babe.” Glaring at him, I crossed my arms.

“I’d apologize, but you’re really cute when you’re annoyed with me, and I’m not sorry for that.” Luca’s eyes danced with mischief … and desire.

I suddenly felt hot all over, and I grabbed a drink from another passing server, intending to bolster myself. Before I could down the whole thing, I noticed Sky entering the room. “Excuse me,” I said.

“Where are you going?” Luca followed my gaze.

“My friend is here, and there was something I needed to talk to her about,” I answered, then I left before he could protest.

Crossing the room, I met Sky by the door and stepped into a quiet corner with her. “What did you find out?”

“It’s not good.” She spoke in a hushed tone, glancing around. “Besides the embezzlement, he’s been money laundering. There’s a bunch of fake life insurance policies and other ways to gain income illegally. I took a bunch of photos of what I found and will email them to you.”

I blinked, stunned. Max had always been cruel to me, and we’d never gotten along because Lucinda pitted us against each other. But I would never have suspected this. Was that why Max and Owen had stopped talking so suddenly when I walked in during the family dinner? I began to realize there was a lot I didn’t know about my family.

“Thank you, Sky. You’re amazing.”

“There’s more,” she whispered. “Your brother has been scheming with that man over there. I saw pictures of them together outside one of their money laundering businesses on Max’s computer.” She pointed to Andrew Hill, one of the officials in charge of the auction.

Andrew was a tall, thin, balding man who always gave me the creeps. Tonight, he sat next to Owen, their heads bowed as they whispered together. They must have been working together, too.

“That’s probably enough to put them behind bars, maybe even sue them for company losses and damages.” In my mind, I ran through different scenarios and plotted how I could take them in their own devices.

“Hopefully.” She turned to where the host stood on the dais as he announced that all bids were closed.

“Thanks again. I guess we should get out of here before we’re cornered by anyone,” I said, thinking of Luca.

“Sure. I’ll send you that email tonight.”

We parted ways, and I went home, too much on my mind. When I got inside, I saw a text from Luca. “So, when’s the date?” it read.

I wanted to get it over with, so I said, “How about tomorrow around noon?”

“Really?” I could practically hear his excitement through my phone.

“Don’t make me change my mind.”

“You can’t. I paid for this date.” Winky face.

I groaned because he was right. “See you tomorrow, Luca.”