Chapter 6 - THE NIGHT THE MAFIA BOSS LOST HIS TEMPER
Damian Bellucci rarely shouted.
He didn't need to.
His silence was usually enough.
But when Marco placed Elena's torn notebook on his desk, something inside him snapped.
“Who authorized this?”
Margaret stood rigidly before him.
“No one, sir.”
“Then explain.”
She swallowed.
“I was concerned about Mrs. Parker's conduct.”
Damian looked at the pages.
“Her conduct?”
“Yes.”
“Keeping records of her wages?”
Margaret's face tightened.
“She's been making accusations.”
Damian stood.
“Has she?”
Margaret hesitated.
“She questions the deductions.”
“Because they're wrong.”
Silence.
Damian stepped around the desk.
“Three hundred and forty employees live or work on this estate. Some have families. Some have medical needs. Some have spent decades serving this household.”
Margaret lowered her eyes.
He continued.
“My father established a fund to help them.”
Her hands trembled.
“And you stole from it.”
Margaret looked up sharply.
“Sir—”
“Don't.”
The word cracked through the room.
Damian took a breath.
Then lowered his voice.
“You didn't just steal money.”
He looked at Elena's notebook.
“You made people afraid to ask for help.”
Margaret began crying.
“I served this family for twenty-two years.”
“And you were trusted.”
She swallowed.
“I made mistakes.”
Damian stared.
“Mistakes?”
He opened another folder.
“Over seven years, more than two million dollars disappeared from the fund.”
Margaret's face drained.
Damian continued.
“Employees were denied medical assistance. Housing charges were inflated. Emergency requests were rejected.”
His voice shook with anger.
“While you transferred money to private accounts.”
Margaret began sobbing.
“I can pay it back.”
Damian looked at her.
“You will answer for what you did.”
He turned toward Marco.
“Contact our legal team. Preserve every record. Notify the appropriate authorities.”
Margaret stared.
“Mr. Bellucci, please—”
Damian looked back.
“You should have thought of that before you stole from people who trusted you.”
She was escorted from the office.
Damian stood alone.
His hands trembled.
He had built an empire.
Controlled companies.
Negotiated with dangerous men.
But he had failed to notice that people working under his roof were being exploited.
He looked toward the photograph of his father on the wall.
For years, Damian had believed being powerful meant knowing everything.
Now he understood how much he'd ignored.
A knock sounded.
Marco entered.
“Sir.”
Damian turned.
“What?”
“Vincent Caruso has disappeared.”
Damian's expression hardened.
“Of course he has.”
Marco hesitated.
“There's something else.”
“What?”
“We found evidence that Caruso had access to the staff registry.”
Damian frowned.
“Why?”
Marco placed a photograph on the desk.
It showed Elena Parker.
Leaving the hospital.
Holding Lily's hand.
Damian went still.
“Where did you get this?”
Marco's voice was grim.
“From a private investigator working for Caruso.”
Damian stared at the photograph.
May you like
Then he looked up.
“Find out why he's watching them.”
