Semua Bab The Ninety-Ninth Time the Don Chose My Sister, I Walked Away: Bab 1 - Bab 10

The wine in the banquet hall had gone cold.The rival family men were still seated at the far end of the long table, watching me with thin smiles."Still no Moretti?""Looks like he really did forget his underboss here."The burn in my stomach had not faded, but my mind was painfully clear.I ignored the mockery in their voices and set my empty glass down."A man can fail to show up.""Business still has to be finished.""Gentlemen, let's talk."For the next few hours, I forced myself through the drug haze and deflected every trap they had buried in the conversation.Only after I saw off the last car did I brace one hand against the doorframe and let myself breathe.By the time I returned to the manor, dawn had already begun to pale the sky.I took off my coat, still heavy with the smell of alcohol, and sat alone at my desk.The port ledger I had not finished was open in front of me.One page was circled in red.It marked the shipping window the rival family had been trying to confirm

That night, the port partner hosted dinner.Bella was there at first.After too much wine, the partner let his hand brush over hers.Bella's eyes reddened immediately, and she stepped behind Moretti.Moretti's expression cooled, but he did not start a war at the table.He only called me over."Iris, you take the second half."I looked at him."If she can't handle it, I can?"Moretti frowned."I'll have men posted outside.""Half an hour. I'll come back for you."He sounded serious.But I thought of the night before, when he had also promised to come back soon.Once the private room emptied, the partner finally dropped the act."Moretti really does trust you, Miss Underboss."He poured me a drink.The rim of the glass clicked against the table.I did not touch it.Still, a few minutes later, my head began to sink.There was a faint sweetness in the air.I stood at once.He blocked the door, his smile filthy and open."Why pretend to be sober?""Your Don left you here. We both know what

When Moretti followed Bella out of the banquet hall, he did not understand what had gone wrong.All he felt, at first, was irritation.Bella was fragile. She could not take that kind of scene.I knew that better than anyone, yet I had chosen her birthday party to put my own name on the cake.He found Bella by the fountain in the garden.She was crouched there, crying into her hands.The moment she saw him, she cried harder."Moretti, is Iris still angry with me?""I didn't mean to take her birthday from her."Moretti frowned and draped his jacket over her shoulders."This isn't your fault.""She's been emotional lately."Bella lifted her head, timid and trembling."If Iris stays mad at me, will you stop wanting me around?"Moretti was about to answer when his phone vibrated.A notification from the family system appeared on the screen.【Underboss resignation approved.】Approved by: Moretti.He stared at the line until the words seemed to sink into his skin.Bella saw it too.She whispe

By the third day of the port crisis, Moretti had traced the drink from the banquet.The drugging had not been improvised.The rival family had known he would never let Bella take that glass.They had also known that I would most likely be the one to drink it in his place.When Luca placed the report in front of him, his voice stayed low."Don, the port partner had his room prepared that night too.""If I had arrived ten minutes later, Miss Vale might not have made it to the elevator."Moretti sat behind the desk for a long time without speaking.He remembered my voice on the phone, thin and shaking.He remembered what he had said.I need to take Bella to the hospital first.I'll send Luca for you.At the time, he thought it was only a choice.Now he understood it had been the last time I asked him to save me.And he had still chosen someone else.Bella came in with coffee and stopped when she saw the documents."Moretti, are you still looking into that night?"He raised his eyes."What

The first time Bella tried to handle the port line alone, she made a mess of it.She wanted to prove she was not only someone Moretti protected, so she contacted one of the intermediaries I had left behind.What she did not know was that the man answered to codes, not names.She sent him an old signal.He replied almost immediately.【Received.】Bella thought she had done it.At dawn, Luca rushed into the meeting room."Don, the East Dock shipment was intercepted.""They knew our emergency harbor."The room went dead quiet.Moretti turned to Bella.The coffee cup in her hand almost slipped."I was only trying to help.""I didn't know that code was dead."One of the elders went livid."You didn't know?""Then why did you touch a line Iris left behind?"Bella's eyes filled.She looked at Moretti."I just wanted you to stop thinking about her.""She's gone, but every day you're reading her files, checking her work, chasing after her calls.""I can help you too."Moretti did not soften.He