After My Brother’s Girlfriend Tried to Extort 500,000 from Me, I Revealed I Was the Mafia Donna Chapter 03

After My Brother’s Girlfriend Tried to Extort 500,000 from Me, I Revealed I Was the Mafia Donna Chapter 03

I had no idea how long it was before Vanessa finally told them to stop.

I curled up on the floor, pain throbbing through my entire body. She pinned my shoulder beneath her shoe and stood over me.

“One million dollars. That covers tonight’s bill and the price of disrespecting me. Not a cent less.”

I looked up at her.

“One million?”

She gave a soft laugh.

“That’s right. I know you can afford it. Luca told me all about you. You’re some brainless rich girl who won’t stop chasing him. You’ve got plenty to spare.”

I laughed.

So that was why she’d treated me like this.

There was no point explaining anything else. I reached for my phone where it had fallen nearby.

“Fine. I’ll pay.”

Only then did Vanessa step back, satisfied.

I called Sofia Caro. We’d known each other since boarding school, and she was the only member of the Caro Family who could walk straight into my office without being announced.

She picked up almost immediately.

“Isa?”

“Bring me a card with access to two million dollars. Luca’s restaurant. Now.”

There was a second of silence on the other end.

“What’s happened? You don’t sound right.”

I looked at Vanessa.

“Don’t ask. Just hurry.”

I ended the call.

Vanessa’s eyes lit up. She must have thought she’d finally frightened me into giving in.

She lightly patted my cheek.

“There we are. Was that so hard, sweetheart?”

I said nothing.

Less than twenty minutes later, the storage room door was shoved open from outside.

Sofia walked in with two Caro Family guards. The moment she saw me, her expression changed.

“Good God, Isabella. Who did this?”

I braced myself against the wall and stood.

“Not now.”

Sofia stared at Vanessa, her gaze turning cold.

I took the card from her and tossed it at Vanessa’s feet.

“The PIN is on the back. Take the million you wanted.”

Vanessa picked it up, finally smiling.

“If there’s anything wrong with this card, I’ll come after you.”

She waved a hand dismissively.

“Now get out.”

Sofia’s face darkened, but I caught her wrist.

“Let’s go.”

I didn’t need to settle this with Vanessa here. Everything she’d just done had left evidence behind.

Once we stepped outside, cold wind swept in from the Chicago River. I had to hold on to Sofia’s arm just to stay upright.

She fought to keep her anger under control.

“What the hell happened in there? Who had the nerve to do this to you on Moretti turf?”

I gave a faint laugh.

“Looks like Luca’s lost the plot. I need to remind him who actually runs this Family.”

Sofia froze.

I pulled out my phone and called Marco Benetti, the man who actually ran the restaurant’s day-to-day operations. When the place first opened, I’d had Marco set up the kitchen, supply chain, liquor licence and the restaurant’s official books.

The moment he answered, I gave him one order.

“You’ve got ten minutes. Vanessa Rich is out. Get her off the premises.”

Marco fell silent for a beat.

“Donna?”

“One more thing.”

I looked at the illuminated sign above the restaurant entrance.

“If Luca objects, pull all Family funding, supply lines and protection from this restaurant tonight. After that, it gets nothing from us.”

There was silence for two seconds.

“Understood.”

I ended the call.

Sofia looked at me.

“Where to now?”

“The police station.”

I didn’t hesitate.

We went straight to the Chicago Police Department’s 18th District.

These days, the Mafia no longer settled every problem with a gun. The law and ruthless lawyers were far better weapons.

I gave the police a complete account of what had happened, in order: the bill, the confinement, the assault and the forced payment. Every detail went on record.

Once I’d finished giving my statement, I went to the hospital. The doctor documented my injuries, and the police received a preliminary report as well.

By the time I left, it was nearly midnight.

But I didn’t go home.

My assistant had found out that Luca was at a party in a house on the Gold Coast. It was another property I’d had someone buy for him.

I got into the car.

“Take me there.”

I wanted to hear it from Luca himself.

I wanted him to tell me, to my face, exactly where he thought I stood.