Rosie's Thorns 🥀|18+|🥀

26 | The Charity Ball

(⚠️ Violence and blood.⚠️)

No Time to Die ~ Billie Eilish (Cathedral version)

《¤Rosie¤》

The SUV's engine purred as Rivera's driver pulled up to City Hall. The colosal white building stood tall and proud against the lush green bushes and the colorful flowers speckling its grounds. A stone path led to large elaborate white steps and black woven railings that curved and dipped in beautiful intercate patterns on either side. I stared at the grand oak double doors as they came into view.

Said doors were thrown open and guests were beckoned in by Mayor Adams himself. I'd only met him twice. He was a friend of my fathers. I tear my gaze away from him and cast a glance to the frenzied crowd surrounding the the steps. Paparazzi crowded the entrance, practically swarming like insects as their cameras flashed and clicked. They all were held back by a loosely placed security team.

I frowned to myself.

Today came sooner than I expected. I knew what I should do, but what I wanted to do and what I should were two very different things. I'd heard of a new charity for women's health and a charity for Reproductive Rights. It was a pure move. It would benefit so many women. Women like me. Women who have their choices ripped away from them and forced to carry their rapists child.

It would give women a voice. A right to their bodies and their futures.

I knew I had a duty to carry out. I could donate to the local hospital, the precinct for law enforcement, cancer, and the few others my father had taken interest in.

For instance, donating to the hospital would aid us greatly. A good lump sum and they'd look the other way or cover up whatever we asked. The same could go for law enforcement. A good donation would not only protect us, but give us the intel we couldn't possibly get alone.

And cancer? How would it benefit us? It's a vile donation. As much as it would help, it would hurt. My father invested purely into the studies of weaponizing the disease. He wanted to be able to extract it from patients and injection it into whoever her wished. He wanted to speed the spread of the disease and use it as torture or to take out as many enemies as he pleased.

So many people were harmed in the experimentations.

It was sick. All of it.

I knew without a shadow of a doubt I'd stop funding the latter. Instead I'd donate to Womans Reproductive Rights. As for the others, I knew it was my duty to donate to them no matter what. I'd do as needed, but I wouldn't invest in killing innocent people out of greed.

I run my fingertips over my stomach as the car stopped just by the steps of City Hall, the steel blue satin gown was cool and soft beneath my touch. It would have been considered elegant by the old bats attending tonight if it wasn't so revealing. The low neckline showed off my cleavage and the slit that stopped just below my hip would stop it from being modest. It was an off the shoulder piece, with little diamonds that decorated the top of the bodice.

It was beautiful.

I'd gotten it when I had collaborated with a budding fashion designer over a year ago. I paid full price for it even after they naively shipped the product for free. I promoted them and with my influence, I was able to help them jump start their own clothing line. Tonight I'd wear the dress again.

Maybe it would help them once more.

My stomach churned as Rivera pushed open the car door, cameras flashing instantly as paparazzi swarm the car. I knew it would happen, seeing as I was the hostest tonight. But even with years of my face and life being plastered on social media, I couldn't stop the nerves from pricking my skin and making me nauseous. I steel myself, bracing against the swarm as I accept Rivera's generous outstretched hand. It was warm, firm, and it would have been comforting if we weren't at odds. He helped me out, even went as far to smooth my gown back down my hips and brush stray strands of hair over my shoulders.