My Four Adopted Sons Betrayed My Daughter, I Took Everything Back

Ten minutes after the stream went dark, my eldest, Joseph Bellini, called.

"Mom, the bet was going just fine. Why'd you cut the stream?"

My expression hardened.

"What bet?"

Joseph realized he'd said too much. My second son, Paolo Marchetti, took over. "We were betting on how long it'd take Selena to admit she was wrong.

"Chloe bet ten minutes. She was just about to win..."

Paolo never got to finish. I'd already had my men kick in the factory doors.

His phone was still at his ear, and the smile hadn't left his face yet.

At my signal, one of my bodyguards rushed over and smashed the butt of his gun into Paolo's face.

Paolo went flying and slammed into the wall.

Chloe Grant, the girl he'd been shielding, couldn't hold back a scream.

One look from me, and she choked the scream back.

Joseph stepped in front of her.

"Boss, Selena started it. She pushed Chloe and wouldn't own up to it.

"All four of the dog's legs were chained down. It was only meant to scare her. She's making a big deal out of nothing."

Chloe tugged on Joseph's sleeve, her eyes brimming with tears.

"Don't fight with Boss because of me.

"It's all my fault. I wasn't watching where I was going and bumped into her. I'm sure she didn't push me on purpose..."

My youngest, Jamie Costello, shoved past my men and planted himself in front of Chloe.

He glared at me, full of resentment.

"Mom, we were teaching Selena a lesson for you.

"Good thing it was Chloe she knocked into. Chloe's sweet. She can let it go.

"If she'd pulled that on someone outside and brought trouble down on all of us, who'd take the fall?"

I was so angry I laughed. "So by your logic, I should be thanking you?"

I looked at my four adopted sons, all falling over themselves to protect Chloe.

The redness and swelling around Chloe's ankle had almost disappeared.

And Selena, the one they should have been protecting, was lying in a pool of blood, barely breathing.

I couldn't hold my anger back any longer. I raised my hand.

The bodyguard behind me stepped forward and pressed a cold gun barrel to Chloe's head.

Jamie went pale.

"Mom, what are you doing?!"

He'd barely taken a step forward.

The gun swung away from Chloe's head and pointed straight at his chest.

Jamie's expression darkened further, but he didn't dare come any closer.

My third son, Christian Rocca, calmly pushed aside the gun aimed at Jamie and looked at me, his eyes cold.

"Mom, let's talk.

"You ruined Chloe's bet and had Paolo beaten. You owe her an explanation."

I scoffed. "What explanation?"

Jamie glared at me.

"Selena apologizes, and you show some good faith too. Then this ends here."

Paolo got up off the floor and wiped the blood from his mouth.

"Mom, I know you took the four of us in because you knew Selena wasn't cut out for this.

"We've worked our tails off keeping the family's four operations running for you, and we've never asked for anything. All we want is to protect Chloe. Is that too much to ask?"

Joseph took another step toward me.

"Without us, the docks will fall apart tomorrow. The other operations won't last a week.

"Think it over."

They were negotiating with me.

I gave a contemptuous smile and helped my daughter up without sparing them a glance.

For ten years, I'd taught them everything I knew.

I'd given them resources, connections, and territory, piece by piece.

I'd paved the road for them, but they thought they'd made their own way.

Once my daughter was settled in the car, I got in beside her and said coldly, "If you don't want the job, you're done.

"Pass the word. Put new people in charge of all four operations. Their deputies take over. As of today, those four don't touch any part of the family's business."

The car door slammed shut. I didn't look back at their grim faces.

Chloe still had that pitiful look on her face.

"What do we do? Boss seems really mad..."

Christian's voice drifted in through the gap in the door. "Don't be scared, Chloe.

"She hasn't touched the business in so long. She doesn't know that everybody down the line only answers to the four of us.

"Once she realizes she can't do without us, it'll take a lot more than an apology to get us back."

But there was something they didn't know.

There were countless people waiting to climb the ladder.

As long as my daughter called them her brothers, they were the heirs, with all the glory that came with it.

If she stopped calling them her brothers, they'd be nothing.