Chapter 5 - Checkmate

˜”*°• Claire •°*”˜

The sun bathed my small neighborhood as I walked on the sidewalks to get to the annual charity bake sale, I had baskets of freshly baked cupcakes, doughnuts, and cookies in my hands.

I specifically wore a white dress adorned with bright yellow sunflowers, perfectly matching my yellow stilettoes.

I passed by Mrs. Johnson watering her plants or vegetables, I don't have much information about gardening, "Hi, Mrs. Johnson! How's your garden doing?"

Mrs. Johnson waved back, "Oh, the cucumbers are growing like crazy! And thank you again for the meals that you cooked for me."

"Don't sweat it!" I shouted back.

I reached the community park and set up my booth, covered in pastel-colored decorations that I made by myself.

I arranged my cupcakes topped with swirls of neon frosting, doughnuts in every color of the rainbow, and cookies shaped like playful emojis over my booth. The aroma of freshly baked sweets wafted through the air.

A little girl approached the table, her eyes wide with wonder at the assortment of cookies and cupcakes. I bent down to her level, "Hi, sweetie! Would you like a cookie or a cupcake?"

The little girl hesitated but eventually pointed to a chocolate chip cookie. I handed it to her with a wink, "Great choice, sweetie! Enjoy."

The so-called peace event was tonight. I had no plans of attending it because I don't know if I can face Vincenzo Capone after my embarrassing episode fueled by “sunshine”. Also, my every encounter with that man had been insulting from his side so I had no wish to socialize with the Outfit members.

As the day went on, my booth raised a good amount of money for charity, and I beamed with pride. I'd rather socialize with my sweet and normal neighbors than I'd ever hang out with the likes of Chicago Outfit.

After the bake sale, they held a little after-party with all the neighbors. A really shy little boy was hesitant to perform his magic trick, so I cheered him on. Instant boost of confidence. And then at the end of the evening, I helped all the elderly people carry their bags to their cars.

As I was saying my goodbyes, my phone rang. I pulled it out and saw Scott's name flashing across the screen.

"To what do I owe this pleasure, Your Majesty?" I asked, packing up my things.

"I have a job for you," came his deep voice.

I sighed, "Finally, I thought you forgot about me."

He let out a laugh, "Coming to the event tonight?"

"Nope."

"Yeah, well, now you have to. François De La Fontaine is attending. I want you to seduce him to a bedroom upstairs and get him there completely alone."

I squeezed my eyes shut, and here I was trying to avoid that event as much as I could.

I nodded, "Fine, do you have anything on him, anything that'd help in knowing what he likes?"

"I mailed you his profile. Just a tip, his favorite color is red."

"You got it, boss."

I went back to my place, and read his profile. What he liked, what he disliked. From what I gathered about him, he liked being praised and he liked bold women in skimpy outfits. He was a boob guy, so deep neck it is, and he was a bit handsy with the woman he had been with, okay, not a bit but a lot handsy.

I could work with that.

I laid out my outfit for the night, it wasn't about the party any more it was about my job. I really needed a car, I didn't want to ask Scott for it. I wanted to earn it.

I took a shower and did my hair first before moving to my make-up. Once I was all set, I changed into a red lace underwear set ditching the bra because of the neckline of the dress. It was a deep, plunging neckline showing off my cleavage perfectly. To complete the ensemble, I chose a pair of elegant red heels. With everything in place, I reached out to Alessandro, asking him to come and pick me up.

He came after fifteen minutes or so, picked me up and we drove together to the event. I knew he wouldn't have a plus one, he is a bit of a loner (by choice) because the attention he gets from women is insane.

He whistled when I sat in the passenger seat, "Porca miseria, Cindy, sei davvero deliziosa." (Holy shit, Cindy, you look delicious)

I batted my eyelashes, a playful grin on my lips, "Grazie, l'ho messo per te." (Thanks, I put it on for you.)

"Io scommetto che l'hai fatto," he replied with a sly grin, his Italian accent adding an extra layer of charm to his words. (I bet you did.)

I leaned in closer, my voice dripping with playfulness, "Well, you know me, Alessandro. I can't resist dressing up for a handsome man."

He chuckled, "Jesus woman, you trying to kill me?"

Alessandro and I had this peculiar habit of flirting endlessly, even when it was entirely unnecessary. It had become our playful little game. But deep down, we knew it was all in good fun, never meant to be taken seriously.

You see, Alessandro had this naturally flirtatious personality, the kind that could make anyone blush with a well-timed compliment or a teasing remark. And he used it liberally, not just with me but with every woman he encountered. It was all light-hearted banter, and he never meant half of the charming things he said.

As we reached the venue, Alessandro handed Valet the keys and offered me his arm which I happily accepted, intertwining our arms as we walked inside.

I took a deep breath as so many pairs of eyes turned to us, Alessandro leaned closer and whispered in my ear, "I'm sure you can handle the rest?"

I nodded at him, "Yeah..."

As he left my side, my eyes immediately looked for my target. I was confident that once I found him I'd have him wrapped around my pinky finger in an hour. The event was posh and high-class, there were poker tables, chess matches, and even performers to keep the Made Men entertained.

This red gown was my statement piece. The deep neckline plunged daringly, revealing just enough to tease without giving the full taste. With every step I took, the gown's side slit exposed my toned thigh, and the whole leg, I worked out a lot, my body was my temple. The fabric clung to my curves, accentuating my narrow waist and wide hips, and the rich red color complemented my pink hair flawlessly.

My locks cascaded down my back in waves of pink, drawing eyes and whispers from everyone around me. The choker at my throat added a regal touch to my ensemble.

I walked confidently into a room full of people, and my red heels clicked confidently against the marble floor. I grabbed a glass of champagne from the passing waiter and took a sip.

Instead of François, my eyes met with Allegra who gestured for me to come over to their table. She was sitting with Capo's and Enforcer's wife, I gracefully made my way to them and almost curtsied to Evangeline.

"Did you just curtsied?" she asked, her plump lips parted.

I let out a laugh, a room full of men and their attention didn't unnerve me but somehow Evangeline did, "I really don't know how to act around you."

She laughed too, "Just like you treat Allegra, it's fine, just a woman, babe."

In the midst of it all, my eyes finally fell on François, "Excuse me, ladies, I have a job to do," saying that, I moved in his direction to observe him before I made a move.

The atmosphere around me was electric, filled with voices and laughter, yet I suddenly felt an intensity in the air, like someone's eyes were fixated on me. A chill tingled down my spine.

I glanced around but the sea of elegantly dressed guests made it impossible to pinpoint the source of this unsettling feeling. It wasn't unusual for people to stare; after all, my appearance always drew attention. However, this was different—more focused, more piercing.

And then my eyes met his dark ones, and it hit me. Vincenzo Capone. He was watching me, his eyes fixed on me, burning with an intensity I couldn't ignore. I sucked in a sharp breath. He stood with his father, brothers, Capo, and the rest of the Cosa Nostra men but his gaze was focused on me as he took a sip of that ember-colored whiskey.

I frowned at him before shifting my attention back to François, who was now talking to another woman. I needed to figure out how to get to him.

I waited as the woman clung to him, socializing with people, laughing, acting as nonchalant as I could just to be in François's frame.

François then moved over to Capo and the Outfit's idiots. Their conversation lasted for quite a while before transitioning to games of poker and chess.

Scott walked over to me, "What's the progress?"

I pursed my lips, "Nothing, I'm trying to look for an opening."

He nodded, "He convinced Capone into a game of chess with him. Impress him."

A smirk formed over my lips, Scott had taught me how to play chess and Mr. Scott Mancini could beat anyone, even the world champion and I was his student.

François De La Fontaine sat across from Vincenzo, a chessboard between them. Vincenzo Capone looked so smug and had a faint confident smirk on his face as he made his next move. He had François in a tight spot, and suddenly the urge to wipe off that annoying over-confident smirk off his face crept up.

I was going to hit two birds with one stone. I'm going to trap François in my charm while shoving his victory into Capone's face.

Their men watched the intense match, I strolled over to them, my dress hugging my curves in all the right places. I stood beside François, my fingers lightly grazing his shoulder as I peered at the chessboard. "Mind if I watch, boys?" I purred, my voice dripping with sweetness.

Both of their attention snapped to me. Vincenzo's glare seemed to burn into my skin while François looked at me as if I was a piece of cake he badly wanted to devour.

I leaned in close to François, my lips brushing his ear as I whispered, "You could use some help," and that made him chuckle.

Vincenzo's eyes flickered briefly in annoyance, but he turned his focus back on the game.

I smiled and took a seat beside François, holding onto his arm acting as if he wasn't there I would have dropped, François gave me a lecherous smile.

When I focused on the game, Vincenzo was in a winning position and he was probably planning to move his queen to a square to threaten François's king.

With a sly smile on my face, I whispered into François's ear, "Move your pawn forward by one square."

And François did, just as he did, Capone realized he didn't have his winning move anymore. He couldn't block François King with his queen.

For a mere second in between, he glared at me. One of his men or maybe it was his brother—because both of them had similarities—shouted annoyedly, "Fucking shit, Vin."

Vincenzo contemplated his options for a moment but then he made a calculative move by advancing one of his knights to a more advantageous position.

With a sly smile, I leaned forward. I noticed how Vincenzo's eyes flitted to my cleavage for a mere second before fixating on my face again. I moved François's knight to a square that put Vincenzo's king in check.

François laughed wrapping his arm around my waist and pulling me closer, "What is your name, sweetheart?"

I smiled at him, "Cindy."

His eyes dropped to my breasts but François's lustful gaze made my skin crawl, "Ah, Cindy, who are you here with?"

I batted my eyelashes, "I work for the Costellos."

Vincenzo aggressively moved his king to a square to escape the check, he basically slammed the piece into the place. François furrowed his eyebrows, staring at the board.

"Mind if I help out again?" I asked with a sickly sweet smile.

"By all means, beautiful."

I hastily moved François queen to a square that put Vincenzo's king in check again.

Vincenzo's jaw clenched, and his eyes darkened. He looked like he wanted to kill me. He was forced to move his king to another square.

And that was his mistake.

I moved François rook to a square, delivering a checkmate to Vincenzo's king.

"Checkmate," I whispered, Vincenzo's eyes narrowed on my lips as if he read the word on my lips without even listening to my voice. For a moment, everyone behind him blurred into nothingness, I blinked but he was all I could focus on.

"Mon Dieu! I won!" I was startled out of whatever trance I was in by François's slap on the side of my ass.

I clapped my hands in mock delight. "Well, would you look at that! You're the winner!"

François chuckled, getting to his feet and taking me with him. He extended his hand to Vincenzo. "I guess, I get your car now."

My eyes snapped to François and then back to Vincenzo, who looked like he was about to explode. A sinister look spread across his face the one that told me this game was far from over. He coldly shook François's hand, his bitterness evident on his face as his brother handed François the car keys.

"Enjoy it while you can," Vincenzo voiced.

I just stared at him, did he know about our plan? What did he mean when he told him to enjoy while he can? Vincenzo cast a disgusted glance my way and buttoned his suit jacket before he turned, walking off. And as if on cue all of his men including his brothers followed his lead.

François jerked me closer giving me a smile that told me that I don't have to work to get his attention anymore, he was already in my hands.

I threw all of my hair to one side, showing off my slender neck, "You didn't tell me anything about yourself."

He grinned, "What do you want to know, chérie?"

He moved us to the dancefloor, twirling me around, "You name, perhaps?" I said, smiling.

"François De La Fontaine," he said his name with pride, "And what do you do for the Costellos, baby?"

He pulled me closer as soft music played all around us, "I'm a secretary of Mr. Mancini..."

He raised an eyebrow, "Just a secretary?"

I smiled, "Just a secretary..."

And before we knew it, everyone was changing partners. I was twirled around only to end up in the arms of a man I had never seen before. I danced with him, and we engaged in a stupid conversation that wasn't even important before I was twirled again and then I landed in Capo's arms. I stiffened, staring at him wide-eyed.

"He didn't try anything with you, did he?" he asked lowly.

I shook my head, "No, Capo."

"If things get out of hand, you have my permission to kill him. I'll cover it up," he said, eyeing François.

I nodded, "Okay, but I won't let it get out of hand. I can handle him."

He gave me a stern nod, "I trust you."

A genuine smile crept up my lips, his approval meant something to me. It made me feel seen and appreciated.

This time when Capo twirled me, a strong pair of hands gripped my waist. My eyes took in the black perfectly tailored suit, his heady cologne filled my nose and I knew even before looking at him that it was Vincenzo Capone.

Why do I keep running into this man?

I slowly raised my eyes, taking in his broad shoulders and chiseled jawline before moving further up and looking at his face up close. His dark hair was immaculately styled, framing his face in a way that accentuated the heat of his gaze.

We began our dance, I moved with deliberate grace. With each stride, my legs peeked out from beneath the dress, and the red heels of my shoes clicked softly on the polished marble floor. My nails too were painted red as I rested them gently on his shoulder.

He held me firmly, possessively. His hand spanned the small of my back, the tips of his fingers pressing lightly into the fabric of my gown. The suit clung to him perfectly, emphasizing his powerful chest and lean, commanding frame.

Our eyes locked with a challenge that needed no words. With each sway and twirl, our bodies drew closer, and the air between us seemed to crackle.

I took a deep breath in to calm myself, a blush crept up my cheeks.

And then he leaned closer, his lips, a mere breath away, brushed against my earlobe as he spoke in a low tone, "Any girl with an ounce of self-respect wouldn't be caught dead in that outfit. A scrap of dignity, that's all it takes, and you couldn't even manage that. You're no different from any other worthless whore."

As his cruel words sliced through the air, he violently yanked me away from him, causing me to stagger before landing in Scott's strong arms.

Scott's touch had always been my anchor, a source of safety, protection, and comfort. But tonight, as he held me close, his arms wrapped around me, his usual comfort seemed to elude me.

"Whoa, take it easy," Scott muttered, his eyes reflecting both tension and confusion as he pulled me away from his as if I had burned him.

Whore.

Whore.

Whore.

The word reverberated inside my skull like a relentless drumbeat. Was I truly that repulsive?

"Cindy, you alright?" Scott's voice was a lifeline in the storm of my thoughts.

I nodded, mustering a brittle smile. "I'm okay, just feeling a bit queasy from all the dancing."

I slowly pulled myself out of his hold and walked off the dance floor. But before I could escape the whirlpool of emotions swirling inside me, I found myself captured by an unexpected pair of arms, encircling me from behind.

"Why don't we continue this dance somewhere more private, Cherie?"

A sliver of my dignity clung to me, but it felt so fragile at that moment. Worthless whore, those two words echoed relentlessly in my mind. I squeezed my eyes shut briefly, gathering my strength, before reopening them with a sultry smile that masked whatever I was feeling inside, "I thought you'd never ask..."