Chapter 6 - The Platinum Card
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Two days after signing her life away to the Castellano syndicate, Norah realized that being married to a mob boss came with aggressively unyielding perks.
She was sitting in the massive kitchen, reviewing the household grocery budget on a legal pad, an old habit from her days as an analyst. The numbers were staggering.
Luca walked into the kitchen, followed closely by his hulking head of security, Marco. Luca stopped when he saw Norah chewing on the end of a pen, frowning at a piece of paper.
“Is there a problem with the chef?” Luca asked, his voice echoing in the cavernous room.
“No, the food is fine,” Norah said, looking up. “But your suppliers are overcharging you for bulk dry goods by nearly thirty percent. It’s a terrible margin.”
Marco choked on a laugh, quickly disguising it as a cough when Luca shot him a deadly glare.
Luca walked over to the kitchen island, looking down at her meticulous spreadsheets. He reached into the inside pocket of his suit jacket and pulled out a heavy, solid metal platinum credit card. He placed it directly over her handwritten notes.
“What is this?” Norah asked, staring at the card bearing her new legal name: Norah Castellano.
“Your wardrobe is completely inadequate for the winter,” Luca stated bluntly. “And you are the wife of the head of this family. You will dress like it.”
Norah bristled, her fierce independence flaring up instantly. “I don't need you to buy my clothes, Luca. I told you, I am not a bought woman.”
Luca leaned down, placing both hands on the marble counter, trapping her in his intense, suffocating orbit. He smelled of expensive cedar and danger.
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“You are my wife,” Luca murmured, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous register that sent a bizarre shiver down her spine. “When you walk out of these gates, people look at you. They judge my strength by how well I care for what is mine. Take the card, Norah. Go shopping. Take Marco.”
He turned and walked away before she could argue. Norah glared at the heavy platinum card, realizing that her survival was now inextricably linked to his dangerous pride.
