Business trip
1417 Words
Gia POV
“Do you think it worked yet?” Leonardo asked, coming up behind her and planting a kiss on her bare shoulder.
Gia had been nervous all week—nervous since that kiss.
That kiss… it had done something to her. It had brought her back to life. It had brought back a part of her that she thought had died the night Dante betrayed her.
Who knew it would take Dante coming back in her life to reawaken it?
No, what was she thinking. He couldn’t be in her life. That would mean war—and that was not something she wanted for her child.
Luca was her world, and she needed to keep him safe above everything else.
“What?” Gia asked, turning in his arms.
“You’ve been so distracted recently, amore.” Leo smiled—but there was a glint of something in his eyes that had her heart hammering in her throat. “I thought maybe—you were pregnant,” he put his hands on her stomach gently—the gesture surprised her.
“I don’t know, maybe,” she smiled softly. “It’s only five more days until my period, so let’s hope it doesn’t come,”
“Let’s hope,” Leonardo pulled her towards him and tenderly kissed her. Gia closed her eyes and tried to enjoy the tender moment. But moments like these didn’t stay tender for long.
“I got you the perfect dress for tonight,” he smiled against her lips.
“You did?” Gia asked, her inside twisting. They were going to one of Gia’s charity events for New Horizon—the charity Leo had set up for her—and tonight the event was sponsored by a famous football team.
A lot of players were raised by single moms, so they wanted to raise more awareness—they were even selling signed jerseys to raise money.
Since it was mostly male guest list—Gia knew what Leo was doing even before she saw the dress. He wanted to show her off.
“Here. Open it,” Leo smirked, handing her a garment bag. Gia carefully unzipped the garment bag—and immediately felt her stomach drop.
Inside was a dress of midnight blue silk, so sheer and clingy it looked more like lingerie than eveningwear. The neckline plunged scandalously low, and the slit up the side nearly reached her hip.
She swallowed hard. “Leo… it’s—beautiful,” she said carefully, smoothing her hand over the fabric.
Because it was. Objectively. The kind of gown that would make heads turn.
The kind of gown that didn’t leave much to the imagination.
The kind of gown that would make every man in that room look at her—and every one of them would know she didn’t belong to herself.
She belonged to him.
“It’ll drive them wild,” Leo chuckled, pleased with himself. He stepped closer, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “They’ll all want you. And you’ll be on my arm. The lucky ones will envy me. The smart ones will fear me.”
Gia forced a laugh, even as her heart squeezed painfully tight.
There was no choice. There was never any choice with Leo.
She would wear the dress. She would smile and wave and pretend she didn’t feel like a piece of jewelry he was dangling in front of a room full of predators.
All for the cause, she told herself bitterly. For the charity. For the women who needed New Horizons.
For Luca.
She folded the garment bag shut and held it to her chest like armor. "Thank you, amore," she said sweetly, and let him kiss her again.
She sat at her vanity, doing her hair and make-up.
“How about those curls that I like so much? And perhaps… the dark eyes, what’s It called again?” Leo asked, holding a hand against his forehead.
“Smokey eyes?” Gia asked. She knew plenty of woman that would die to be with Leo—that would even like his controlling behavior—but she was not one of them. What kind of man chose his wife’s make-up?
"Yes, smokey eyes. And maybe red lips?"
His smile widened as he leaned over her shoulder, watching her in the mirror. "I want everyone there to know exactly who you belong to."
Gia tugged at her dress, smoothing it down, trying to make it less revealing—but of course, it was no use. Unless she could sew on more fabric, the dress stayed as revealing as ever.
“Stop fidgeting,” Leo hissed, as he walked next to her, with his arm around her. “Elegant women don’t do that.”
Gia’s hands fell to her side, trying to remember the etiquette lessons Leonardo had forced her to take the first month of their marriage.
Gia adjusted her posture as Leo ushered her through the grand entrance.
Murmured conversations quieted. Heads turned.
Gia fought the urge to tug at her dress again under the sudden weight of a hundred eyes.
“A beautiful woman on his arm is the best jewelry a man can have,” Leo whispered, basking in the attention like he was parading a prize he'd won.
Gia forced a tight smile and allowed him to lead her further into the room.
The event was already in full swing — champagne flutes gleamed on silver trays, the murmur of polite conversation filled the air, and flashes from cameras sparked every few minutes as the charity’s biggest donors mingled with the celebrity guests.
Posters of smiling women and children lined the walls — success stories from New Horizons. Gia’s heart twisted at the sight. She had built this. This charity was one of the few things in her life that felt real.
And tonight, it was being paraded around like another one of Leo’s trophies.
The football players who had come to support the event were scattered among the crowd — larger-than-life figures in tailored suits, laughing, joking, posing for pictures. Many of them had been raised by single mothers themselves, and their genuine warmth toward the cause almost made Gia smile.
Almost.
Leo’s hand tightened possessively on her waist whenever someone’s gaze lingered too long on her.
Whenever a compliment came her way — and there were many — he accepted it like it belonged to him.
He kissed her temple for the cameras, whispered in her ear in front of reporters, kept her pinned to his side like an accessory.
Through it all, Gia smiled and played the part she was expected to play.
Hours later, when the last photo had been taken and the last champagne flute drained, Leo finally steered her toward the waiting car.
She sagged into the leather seat with a soft sigh of relief.
Leo chuckled, reaching over to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.
“You were perfect tonight,” he said, his voice full of syrupy pride. “Absolutely perfect. I could see every man in that room wanting what’s mine.”
Gia swallowed hard, turning to look out the window.
As the car pulled away from the venue, Leo leaned back lazily in his seat.
“I’ll be leaving tomorrow morning, amore,” he said, almost casually. “Business in Chicago. Should only be gone two or three days.”
Gia kept her face neutral.
She knew what “business” meant. Deals, yes — but also late nights, mistresses, God knows what else.
She’d once begged him not to go on these trips. Now, she just nodded, like a good wife.
But inside…
Inside, a flicker of something dangerous sparked to life.
Leo would be away.
Marco would still follow her — but she knew his patterns, his habits. If she planned carefully enough…
Gia stared out the window at the glittering city lights, her mind racing.
She knew it was reckless.
Knew it was dangerous.
Knew that if Leo ever found out, there would be hell to pay.
But the memory of Dante’s kiss still burned on her lips.
The look in his eyes — the desperate, raw longing — haunted her every time she closed her own.
For the first time in years, Gia allowed herself to dream about doing something purely for herself.
Maybe… just maybe… she could find a way to see Dante again.
Just one more time.
- Writer
