Chapter 14 - THE TRANSFORMATION|
The next evening at 6:00 p.m.
The transformation was terrifyingly complete.
I stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling mirror in the safe house master bedroom. The gray hotel maid uniform, the tight ponytail, and the smell of cheap glass cleaner were entirely gone.
In their place stood a woman I barely recognized.
I wore an exquisite, floor-length emerald green velvet gown that hugged my frame, with a daring low back and a high side slit. My dark hair fell over my shoulders in soft, glossy waves. Around my neck rested a vintage diamond choker from the Marciano family vault, sparkling brilliant light under the chandelier.
The door opened softly, and Enzo Marciano walked in.
He was dressed in an immaculate black tuxedo with a crisp silk bow tie. He stopped dead in his tracks the moment he saw me, his dark eyes lingering on every detail of my face.
"Amelia..." Enzo spoke softly, his usual cold demeanor melting away. "You look extraordinary."
"I feel like an imposter," I admitted, running my hand along the heavy velvet fabric of my dress.
"An imposter hides, Amelia," Enzo said, walking over to stand directly behind me in the mirror. He reached out, placing his hands gently on my bare shoulders, his touch sending a surge of warmth through my skin. "You are not an imposter. You are the daughter of Hector Duarte. Tonight, you are the most dangerous person in New York City."
He slipped a small, sleek silver flash drive into a hidden compartment inside my evening clutch.
"Everything is loaded onto this drive," Enzo whispered in my ear. "When the signal is given, you plug this into the ballroom control station."
"And if Gianni tries to shoot us?" I asked, looking at his reflection.
May you like
Enzo pulled a tiny, pearl-handled 9mm pistol from his coat and slipped it into the thigh holster hidden beneath my velvet slit.
"Then we make sure he doesn't miss the funeral," Enzo said.
