Betrayed And Sold To The Mafia King

Valeria

"You're making a scene again, Valeria," my father hissed, not looking away from the television. "You're always thinking the whole world is conspiring against you."

I stood in shock in the living room with my fists clenched at my sides. "I'm not being dramatic. I have proof. Lorenzo stole from the company. He has siphoned tens of thousands of dollars out of the company's account."

"So?" he said flatly. "He's your brother. He probably needed it."

I glanced over to my mother, who was sitting on the couch with one leg crossed over the other, idly stirring the contents of wine in a glass.

"Mother," I said without pleading. "Please, say something. You can't possibly agree with this."

But mother gave me a long, slow sigh. "Valeria, you're making it sound like it's the end of the world. Perhaps if you hadn't made everything about that small wine business, you wouldn't be this up tight right now."

I blinked. "Little wine business? I started that company from nothing. I worked for it. I supported this family with the earnings."

" You chosed to," Lorenzo leaned against the frame of the door behind me, sipping his drink. "No one told you to act like a martyr."

"You drained the company," I snapped, turning to look at him. "Half a million gone. I have the bank reports, Lorenzo."

"And I said I was gonna pay it back," he said with a shrug. "You're acting like though I killed someone."

"You may as well have," I murmured. "You stabbed me."

At last Father stood, looking irritated. "You're embarrassing yourself now. You'd think this is the first business to go down? People declare bankruptcy all the time."

"But I'm not bankrupt yet!" I shouted. "You've all robbed me and I'm the one that has to pay for it! How is that fair?"

Mom took another sip of wine, her gaze still locked on her glass. "You're just too emotional. This isn't healthy. Maybe take a few days off."

I stared at her. At all of them. The people I had loved, pleased and made sacrifices for, all my life. And yet there they were, watching me unravel as though it meant nothing.

I didnt say another word, instead, I picked up my bag, and I left. No one followed behind me, no one tried to stop me.

The cold was bitingly sharp outside, but it didn't sting as much as all that silence my family had left behind. I had to crumple my paper notes to keep my hands from shaking as I slipped into the car and my breath misted the windshield.

I didn't remember the drive. But I recalled the silence, and then the heavy thud of my apartment door closing behind me.

Inside, the warmth meant nothing to me as my bones were already cold.

I went directly to the liquor cabinet to pour myself a glass of wine - dark red, the kind I used to raise in celebration of business deals and awards. Tonight, it tasted like ash in my mouth.

I sat on the edge of the couch holding the glass like it was the only thing could keep me whole. My mind raced with faces, numbers, memories and my mistakes.

"I should have listened," I murmured. "I never should have done it to begin with. I should've separated everything." But I hadn't. I'd believed they were family. I trusted that they wouldn't destroy me, but yet again look at where I was now. I filled another glass, and then another. The room felt fuzzy, but the pain remained sharp.

My phone vibrated with activity - missed calls, emails, news alerts. I ignored them all. And that's when I heard it. A loud crash from outside that made me flinch.

I got up slowly, as my heart started to race. My mind flew to the most terrible possibility - was I about to get robbed? Was someone breaking in? I slipped up to the window and looked through the drapery.

Blue and red lights danced on the asphalt. It was the police, but why? Another loud bang rang out. But this time, it was as if my front gate had been knocked down. I recoiled with instinct, panting. I didn't move neither did I didn't speak. I listened and waited. The noise was followed by the sound of a knock, crisp and hard.

I froze, staring at the door. My body wouldn't move. And at that moment I couldn't decide if I was more frightened of what waited on the other side of the door or of what I'd already lost. The knock came again, and I swallowed.

Then, a voice broke the silence. ''Miss Valeria DeLuca? This is the police." I felt my heart drop. I walked cautiously, my legs trembling as I moved closer towards the door. I hesitated for a second before I unlocked the door.

Two men, both uniformed, stood in the doorway. Their expressions were unreadable. The taller one spoke first. "Are you Miss Valeria DeLuca?"

"Yes," I managed.

"I'm Officer Chen. This is Officer Ramirez. You're being served a notice of appearance from the Federal Court." And with that, he passed me a closed document.

"This states the seizure of all U.S. based assets of the below named individual. Your properties have been repossessed under legal writ of nonpayment due to the bad debt in the person of Sergio DeLuca."

I looked at the folder reading the words, barely comprehending what the man was saying.

"No signature is needed at this stage. This is a formal notification. You are expected to appear in court, not later than the next seven days of business."

I trembled as I grasped the paper. "I-I don't understand."

Officer Chen nodded once. "You'll find the court date and more information inside."

My eyes skimmed over the official lines:

The under-listed assets under Ms. Valeria DeLuca are summoned on collateral forfeiture due to monies owed by Mr. Sergio DeLuca.

Assets specifically, but exclusively include: Vino Luna Winery, DeLuca Estate, Brand Holdings Bank Account(s), any other owned property under Ms. Valeria DeLuca's name.

I sank to the floor.

Everything was gone.

Not just my money but my home, my company, my brand. All of it was gone. My father had used everything I owned as a stake in his gambling. And he hadn't even told me.

My vision blurred.

Why had I not seen it coming?

I fought for that business. I had put my all into that business. Late nights. Empty bank accounts. Rejections. Sleepless winters. And I had survived them all. But not for this. Not to be served this betrayal from people I basically fed, clothed, and protected.

"How can it be..." I uttered.

Valeria

"Next time, pay attention to details before you transfer power to irresponsible men," Officer Chen said, in a sharp and disdainful voice.

I opened my mouth to talk, but Officer Ramirez interrupted, "You've been served, Miss DeLuca. There's nothing else to say. File your protest in court if you like."

"I just-can't you explain more? What happens now? I didn't sign anything. I didn't approve-" I tried to explain but Officer Chen interrupted me. "The courts have all the information they need. If you didn't want this to happen, then you should have maintained more control of your assets."

"But I didn't know he -" My voice broke.

Ramirez shook his head. " it's our job to know who did what. You've got the paperwork now. That's all." And with that, they turned and walked away.

I stood at the door, in shock. As the police car drove away, my fingers clutched onto the now wet paper, soaked by my sweaty palms. I felt my knees lock, my chest burned and the air felt too thin.

This wasn't real.

It couldn't be.

I glanced at the summons again as my eyes watered up, and I let the tears fall freely from my eyes. "They really did it," I whispered.

My legs buckled slightly as I braced myself against the doorframe, gazing into the deserted frontage as if I was supposed to find something out there. My chest hurted with each breath I took. "I trusted them..." I murmured. "I trusted them."

By now my hands were shaking so hard. Cold sweat covered my palms and my heart pounded in my ears. The loss, the hurt, the anger - it was all too much. I ran to the table where I had left my phone and picked it up with trembling hands.

I called Father first. "Number not reachable."

"No, no, no," I panted as I scrolled down to call Lorenzo next. His didn't even ring. It went Straight to voicemail. I tried calling mother next, and just like Lorenzo's it went straight to voicemail.

I couldn't breathe. The room felt like it was spinning. My phone fell out of my hand and hit the floor. I picked it up again, frantic and desperate. I could barely type in my passcode as my fingers were shaking so much. Left with no other option, I snatched my keys off the counter and headed for the door.

The wind slapped me in the face but I didn't give a shit. I was crying before I even got to my car. I hardly glanced at the speedometer when I drove. I just needed answers. I needed one of them to admit that it was a mistake. I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't even see the lights flashing behind me until I heard the siren wail.

I pulled over with a gasp, my heart pounding. The officer approached my window. "Ma'am, you were doing thirty over the slack."

"I-I'm sorry. I wasn't, I was just ..." My voice broke. "It's an emergency."

His eyes narrowed. "License and registration." I handed it over to him, with trembling hands.

After a moment, he returned. "I'll write you a ticket. Don't let it happen again. Pay it immediately."

"I will," I whispered. "Thank you... thank you."

"Drive safely." I gave him a quick nod and pressed the pedal a bit harder than I should have. It was freezing now. My grip on the steering wheel was stiff, but all I wanted more than anything was to get there - get home.

As I sprinted up to the gate of the DeLuca's mansion, I hollered. I found it locked. I banged on the iron bars. "Father! Mother! Please-it's me!"

But I got no response. I hit harder. "Open the door! Please! I need to talk to you!"

Tears ran down my face, scorching my cheeks through the icy air. I held onto the gate and shook it with all my might until my arms ached.

"They can't do this," I wailed. "You can't just shut me out!"

I gazed up at the dark windows. There were no movements. No lights. They were home. I knew it. I had just left here an hour hours ago. But they wouldn't come out. The gateman had been given a leave last weekend, so he wasn't due till next week. They acting like I didn't even exist.

I retreated from the gates, hugging my arms to myself. The wind whistled through my clothes. My body was shaking violently, but I did not go.

I stood there, in pain, lost in my thoughts. "How could they do this to me?" Finally, I took my phone out again, praying for anyone to pick up. I called my assistant, but it went straight to voicemail. Next, was my accountant. Still, no answer. I got nothing from my publicist.

It was as if I had disappeared from their world when I lost everything. They'd blocked me. All of them. I dropped to all fours before the gate, choking out uneven breaths.

"I'd given them everything," I wept. "How could this happen? Why won't anyone answer me?"

And then a news alert appeared on my screen. I half opened it with quaking fingers.

"BREAKING: The Valeria DeLuca empire - Vino Luna has been taken in court battle. The company management already has apparently changed hands, the reports say."

My blood ran cold as I tapped the video clip and kept listening.

"The estate had been sealed this evening when legal papers were served. DeLuca, who skyrocketed through the wine world, presumably now finds herself back at square one. Investors say her oversight cost them millions. Sources suggest internal mismanagement. The former has turned into something of a 'cautionary tale' for future entrepreneurs."

I dropped the phone. "No," I whispered. "No. This has to be a joke. A cruel, twisted joke." I picked the phone back up again and frantically checked for more news.

FAILED BUSINESSWOMAN VANISHES AMIDST RUIN.

GREEDY, NAIVE, OR BOTH? INSIDERS SPEAK ON DE LUCA'S FALL.

I hugged the phone to my chest and sobbed. "This isn't real. This isn't happening. Please..." Then my phone rang. My breathe caught as I stared at the ID. It was my father. I answered immediately.

"Daddy?" My voice was soft, and broken. "Daddy.... Somebody's trying to hurt me. I don't know what's happening. Everything's going wrong. I-I need you."

"You stupid girl," he snapped. "You think it's someone? This is your fault!"

My whole body flinched. "What...?"

"You made this bed with your conceit," he hissed. "You thought you could handle it all yourself. You put everything in your name. If you weren't so selfish, I wouldn't have had to make bets behind your back."

"But I trusted you," I whispered.

"You should know better," he growled. "You acted like a queen. Now live like a fool."

"Daddy, please-" My voice cracked.

"Oh, and one more thing. Everything you owned? It's being auctioned off. In two hours."

I couldn't breathe. "What...?"

"Everything," he said. "Your house. Your company. Your name. It's all going to other people. Maybe they'll handle it better." And then he hung up. I stared at the phone in shock. Tears clouded my eyes as my knees buckled under me.

"No..." I whispered. "That's impossible..." I dropped to the ground, clutching my face with my hands.

"No! That's impossible!" I wept openly, my voice hitching at my loss.

Valeria

I didn't sleep. I stayed up all night, digging through and calling old contacts, messaging anyone who still had enough dignity to answer a phone. Most didn't. But one had. my retired lease finance lawyer. He sent me the address.

That was how I found out that there was going to be an auction the following morning. Funny enough there were no press release about it. It seemed more like they wanted to bury me without a funeral.

I arrived at the building dripping with sweat. My shirt clunged to my back, while hair stuck to my forehead. I didn't bother with putting on makeup. My entire life was at stake so couldn't care less.

People gawked at me as I ran through the lobby. I heard the whispers as I ran.

"Is that her?"

"God, she looks terrible..."

"She must be desperate."

I pushed past a woman with a clipboard and muscled my way into the auction hall. And that was when I saw them. My father, my mother and Lorenzo.

They were seated in the front row. My legs stumbled, but I forced my way ahead with my lips tight. My father was the first to raise his eyes. He didn't look shocked, he looked annoyed.

"You're not supposed to be here," he said flatly.

"Why?" I hissed. "Because you are too shamed to face me?"

He stood and walked towards me with hard, cold eyes. "No. Because you've embarrassed us enough. This is a matter of law now. You have no say."

I looked at him in awe and my heart beat out of control. " Are you serious right now? You just placed everything that I made on that damn list and there's nothing I get to say?"

"You made that with our money," he said. "This family worked our ass for decades. We merely seized back what was ours."

"You're unbelievable," I whispered.

"You're the one who ruined yourself," my mother said, swooping in alongside him, her designer coat perfectly slunged across her shoulders. "You wanted control over everything. Now face the consequences."

"You didn't listen when we tried to talk to you," she said. "You made your choices."

"What advice? To hand over my passwords? My accounts? My company?" My voice was shaking. "That wasn't advice. That was theft. And you laughed through them all."

"You're hysterical," she waved her hand. "It's always been your weakness."

I laughed bitterly. "And you've always been heartless."

Lorenzo walked up behind them. "Keep your voice down. You're making a scene."

He walked close, close enough so that nobody else would be able to hear. His breath tickled against my ear when he said, "You're only a woman, Valeria. This is not a world that is designed for people like you to maintain power. You don't want to have the family destroyed, do you?"

I stared at him, and saw nothing but decay. The brother I had once loved was dead. I raised my hand before I had even registered doing so - but I stopped it in time as dozens of eyes were watching.

I dropped my hand and let out a little, bitter laugh. "You know what, Lorenzo? One day, you'll need me. And I will pretend not to recognize your name."

He gave me a smugged smile. "No one will remember you by then." I stepped back. I wanted to scream. I wanted to break something. But all I could do was stand there and shake. My chest heaved and my vision burned.

"I mean really," murmured Lorenzo again, voice low and mocking. "The only reason you got where you are is because you spread your legs and got into investors' pockets, isn't it? This vineyard was not taken from you." And that did it. I slapped him. The noise filled the room as the crowd gasped in awe.

Lorenzo didn't move. He blinked at me, for a while before a cruel grin crept back on to his face. "You just confirmed everything everyone said," he said.

The door creaked open behind me, and a man in a smart grey suit stepped up onto the central stage with a microphone in his hand.

"Ladies and gentlemen," called the auctioneer. "We're ready to begin."

"Lot twelve... the vineyard equipment owned by Vino Luna. Starting at seventy thousand."

The auctioneer's voice boomed through the hall, clear and casual, the way he'd sell furniture. But he wasn't. He was selling my life.

My fists were clenched on my lap as I sat there on the third row. My fingers dugged into my palms until they felt raw, but I did not let go. It was the only way I could prevent myself from not screaming.

"Eighty-five. Ninety. Ninety-five-sold for ninety-five thousand!" There was a smattering of applause. I didn't move, didn't clap. I only looked straight ahead, with my jaw tight.

"Lot thirteen... Wine cellar stock. Starting at fifty thousand." They rolled crates of my wine - wines I had named, tasted, bottled with my own hands. My signature was still on the labels. My masters crest still stamped upon the corks.

"Sixty-five. Seventy. Seventy-five... sold!"

I heard my father chuckling quietly behind me. I craned my neck far enough to get a look at the grin on his face. His posture was relaxed. He even stretched across and whispered something to my mum.

He was happy. He had paid his debt. But what about me?

The woman who worked sixteen-hours a day? Who went hungry so they could invest in a better future harvest? Who took a forgotten vineyard and turned it into an award winning empire?

No one asked about me and no one cared. My office furniture was dragged up another lot; I watched, on screen. My desk. My chair. My custom gold plated pen set. Each item brought a new ache. They sold my car next. Then the DeLuca estate.

They were ripping everything away from me, bit by bits.

Now only two items remained, and the temperature in the room suddenly seem to change. I saw heads swiveling in chairs. A man who stood in the rear of the hall straightened his collar. Another lowered his paddle completely.

I frowned. Why had the room gone quiet? Then I heard the footsteps.

I looked up, facing the entrance with my head.

And there he was.

Dante Moretti.

Even his appearance was enough to send a ripple through the audience. He was tall, all dressed in black - no tie, just a white shirt open at the neck under the suit - and well turned out. His hair was dark, sleeked, immaculate. His gray colored eyes roved around the room like an animal claiming its domain.

Dante Moretti.

Even the name alone sent shivers to anyone who had any sense. He wasn't just a billionaire. He was the man. The king of the underworld. The man behind the scenes who controlled half the city's power.

No one had crossed him and ever lived to tell the tale. And now... he was here. People stiffened in their seats. Some lowered their heads. The confident bidders from earlier? They collapsed as if their power had been sucked out of them. He made his way to the center of the room slowly.

I frowned, confused.

What was he doing here?

I had no dealings with him. I had only heard rumors. He didn't do public events, certainly not absurd small scale asset auctions.

The auctioneer coughed unsteadily, "Twenty-four... the last of their company shares for Vino Luna Holdings. Starting at one hundred thousand."

A handful of people raised their paddles quietly.

"One-ten. One-twenty..."

I didn't look at them. I kept my eyes on Dante. Why was he watching me?

"One-thirty-five. One-fifty..." And finally, the auctioneer geared up to ask for the last lot.

And that's when his voice came. Deep and commanding. "Is she up for auction?" My breath hitched. I turned to him slowly, baffled and convinced I had heard him wrong.

But Dante didn't smile. He didn't joke. He was looking right at me. I stood up suddenly. "What did you just say?"

"Two hundred million dollars," he said. My mouth opened, stunned. "What...?"

"Two hundred million!" someone in the audience whispered. "For her?"

"Is this legal?" My eyes flashed to the auctioneer.

Then... I heard it. "Sold!"

It wasn't the voice from the auctioneer. It came from behind me. I knew that voice anywhere. It belonged to my father.

"Sold!" he repeated, this time louder, as if it were something to be proud of.

Mother clapped gently. "A miracle," she said. "Everything's paid now."

Lorenzo stood, adjusting his cufflinks. "We didn't expect such luck."

I stepped back. "You... you agree to this?"

"You're not a child," Father snapped. "This is business. It's a blessing somebody even wanted you.' "

"I'm your daughter!" I shouted.

I looked at my mothet and she smiled faintly. "It's better this way."

I turned to Lorenzo. "You-"

But he cut me off. "Don't humiliate us even more." I attempted to struggle, to talk, to scream - but I couldn't. Before I knew it two men in black suits were standing next to me. They didn't hurt me. But they didn't ask for permission, either.

I just gazed at the front, a little stunned, as they pulled me toward the rear exit of the hall. I stole one last look at my family. My Father was shaking the auctioneer's hand. Lorenzo was on the phone already, no doubt bragging.

And Mother...

She looked at me.

"Go," she mouthed. "You are a good girl."

Something inside me snapped as a slow smile twisted on my lips.

"Why be a good girl?" I whispered.