I Took Mafia Don’s Empire Chapter 06

I Took Mafia Don’s Empire Chapter 06

The car turned onto Riverside Drive.

Outside the window was the river view I had known for years.

This property had been my parents’ wedding gift to me.

More accurately, it was one of the last cards the Whitmore Family had left in my hand.

The car stopped in front of the villa.

My mother was standing by the door.

I hadn’t seen her in three years. Her hair had gone much whiter, and her eyes were already red.

My father stepped out from behind her. He still looked stern, unsmiling, impossible to read.

But I saw his hand trembling at his side.

“Mom.”

The word barely left my mouth before my voice gave out.

My mother looked at me. Her lips trembled.

“You’ve lost weight.”

That was all she said before tears fell.

My father walked over.

He lowered his head and looked at Ivy, asleep in my arms, then

reached out and pulled the slipping blanket back over her.

“Come inside.”

“It’s cold out.”

Once we were in the living room, I laid Ivy on the sofa and tucked the blanket around her.

My mother held my hand and looked me over again and again.

Her eyes barely left me.

“These three years must have been hard on you.”

I shook my head.

“They weren’t.”

My father sat across from me.

After a moment of silence, he finally asked, “Rinaldi Group. Was that you?”

I nodded. “Yes.”

“You pledged it to us,” he said calmly. “What happened?”

I understood what he was really asking.

He wanted me to say it myself.

I took a deep breath.

“Matteo cheated. That child is seven. Three years older than Ivy.”

My mother’s hand tightened around mine.

I went on.

“He already had that child before he married me. He hid it from me all these years.”

“Now that the Rinaldi Family has just gotten back on its feet, he brought that bastard into the house.”

“He wanted me to acknowledge him.”

“Then he wanted me to sign away Ivy’s claim to the Whitmore assets and the Rinaldi inheritance.”

I told them only what mattered.

I didn’t need to exaggerate.

By the end, my father’s expression had darkened, and my mother’s hand was shaking in mine.

“Bastard.”

I steadied my voice and explained the rest.

“When I called you before and asked you to release the South Harbor project, it was to bait Matteo.”

“On the surface, that project looked like a resource I had helped him secure.”

“In reality, I had him sign a performance agreement.”

South Harbor wasn’t just an ordinary real estate project. It was tied to docks, warehouses, private security, and several freight routes every old East Coast family had been watching.

“Rinaldi Group had to front the full project cost.”

“If the project failed to complete leasing and recover funds by the deadline, Rinaldi Group would absorb all losses.”

“And the group assets would serve as collateral.”

“He read the agreement three times.”

Matteo needed South Harbor too badly. He needed it to prove he was not a man who had risen only because of the Whitmores. The moment he saw the project, there was no way he would refuse.

“He saw the profit.”

“He missed the trap.”

My father nodded.

“South Harbor is too big.”

“It isn’t one building. It’s an entire port district and logistics corridor.”

“The early stage doesn’t swallow profit. It swallows cash flow.”

“The upfront investment is at the billion-dollar level.”

“Once the capital chain stalls, Rinaldi Group’s current cash flow can’t keep it alive.”

“Exactly.”

I continued.

“He poured every dollar into it.”

“Now the project is stuck at the leasing stage, and the money can’t be pulled out.”

“The wager failed.”

“Under the agreement, Rinaldi Group’s pledged assets have entered receivership. As the largest creditor, the Whitmore Family has formally taken control.”

“The entire process is legal.”

“He signed every page himself.”

My mother looked at me.

There was pain in her eyes, and a trace of pride she couldn’t hide.

“I knew it. My daughter would never let herself be bullied for nothing.”

I smiled faintly, then said, “There’s more.”

“I pledged the Rinaldi estate too.”

“You bought that estate for me back then.”

“Later, Matteo said he wanted his name added to the deed.”

“I dragged it out for half a year before agreeing.”

“When we added his name, I had him sign a joint mortgage authorization.”

“The excuse was future asset planning.”

“He signed it without thinking.”

“For years, the estate has been under both our names.”

“I couldn’t pledge it alone.”

“But with both signatures, I could.”

“Now the mortgage rights to the estate are in the Whitmore Family’s hands too.”

“In a few days, a court-appointed receiver will take people there and seize control of the property.”

After listening, my father showed a rare hint of a smile.

“After all that, it came back where it belonged.”

My mother held my hand, her eyes red again.

“You foolish girl. You carried all of this alone. Why didn’t you tell us sooner?”

“I didn’t want you to worry.”

“We’re your parents.” Her voice caught on the words. “You should have been able to tell us.”

“You were suffering over there, and we were in Europe knowing nothing…”

My father handed her a tissue. For once, he even tried to comfort her.

“She came home safely. That’s what matters.”

“Don’t cry.”

Just then, Ivy stirred on the sofa.

She sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes, and looked from my mother to my father.

For a moment, she only stared, as if she was afraid this was another dream.

“Grandpa?”

“Grandma?”

My mother smiled at once. She quickly wiped away her tears and walked over to pull Ivy into her arms.

“Oh, sweet girl.”

Ivy froze for two seconds.

Then she suddenly wrapped her arms around my mother’s neck and burst into tears.

“Grandma.”

“I missed you so much.”

My mother held her, crying while she soothed her.

After a while, Ivy finally sniffled and said, “Daddy doesn’t like me.”

“He said I’m a girl.”

“He said I don’t deserve to inherit the family.”

My mother’s eyes went cold, but her arms around Ivy stayed gentle.

“Then he doesn’t know what good is.”

She brushed Ivy’s hair back softly.

“Our Ivy is worth more than that whole family.”

Ivy lifted her little face and looked seriously at my father.

“Grandpa.”

“I don’t want Daddy anymore.”

“I have Mommy. I have Grandpa and Grandma.”

“That’s enough.”

My father fell silent.

After a few seconds, he reached out and smoothed her hair with a trembling hand.

“Yes,” he said quietly. “Grandpa’s here.”

The river wind slipped through the window, carrying the first chill of fall.

But this home was finally warm again.