Todos os capítulos de They Humiliated Me. I Shut Them Down: Capítulo 1 - Capítulo 10

Bottega Artigiana was tiny and dim, and it smelled like old leather and beeswax.The owner, Elena Ferri, was a single mother. Her sick son, Matteo, who looked about three, was strapped to her back in a cloth sling, his face tinged blue.When I walked in, Elena was crouched on the floor, picking through waterlogged scraps one by one.When she saw me, she hurried to her feet and wiped her hands nervously on her apron."What can I get for you, ma'am? The vegetable-tanned cowhide is nice today. I can cut you a piece and give you a good price."Her smile was forced, and she couldn't hide the exhaustion and desperation in her eyes.I looked at her rough, cracked hands and the child on her back, so unnervingly still that my chest tightened.Ten years ago, I'd been just like her.Every penny counted. I'd spent countless nights stitching leather until my fingers cramped. I couldn't afford to get sick, much less take a break. If I stopped working, everything would fall apart.I fought back the e

The door slid open.Emily climbed out, sweating, carrying two silver combination-lock cases.Four elite private security guards in black suits and sunglasses followed her.Emily burst into the shop, clutching the cases. "I've got the full ten million euros, just as you asked!"Marco rubbed his hands together and stepped closer."Now you're talking."Leave the money, and we'll pretend today never happened."Emily pulled the cases close to her and glared at Marco."What do you think you're doing? This money is for Elena's order!"Leo lifted the cleaver and pointed the blade at Emily's face."Who the hell do you think you are? Nobody asked for your opinion!"Drop the money, get lost, and take your people with you!"I grabbed Emily's arm and pulled her behind me.Elena was slumped on the floor. The blood from her forehead had run down to the corner of her eye, and she didn't wipe it away.Her eyes held fear and despair, along with a spark that life had nearly extinguished.I thought about

When Marco heard that, he stopped kowtowing.He slowly straightened. Although he was still on his knees, a glimmer of hope had returned to his eyes."Ms. Whitmore, my son has a big mouth, but he does have a point."You're a woman with an empire to run. Why waste your time picking a fight with people who know how things work around here?"My brother-in-law controls the supply network across Milan, right down to customs clearance."If you insist on placing that order with Elena, she'll never get the leather delivered."She can't handle a ten-million-euro order."Marco's expression shifted. The fear in his eyes gave way to the calculating look of a man who thought he'd found a way out."Here's what we'll do."I'll still take the deal."I'll knock 30 percent off the price, and I'll use nothing but the finest Himalaya crocodile leather."Consider it my way of making amends. What do you say?"He even reached for the cases on the floor.Emily kicked his hand away."Keep your filthy hands off

A team of heavily armed Carabinieri quickly cordoned off the area and stormed into the shop."Nobody move!" the officer in charge barked.The shout startled Richard and Marco into releasing each other.They pulled apart, panting, and collapsed on the floor.I stepped forward and handed my card to the officer in charge."Officer, I'm Dana Whitmore of Elysium Group."I have evidence of financial fraud within our company. This ledger documents Richard Vance's embezzlement and illegal kickback scheme."The officer accepted my card and the ledger, his expression growing serious."Ms. Whitmore, we received a report of a violent altercation. Can you tell me what happened?"I nodded and pointed toward Leo, who was still sprawled on the floor."It was much more than an altercation."That man threatened us with a leather-cutting cleaver and tried to extort ten million euros from us. He even threatened to hold us here until we handed over the money."He and his father also smashed this shop and a

It was the eve of Fall/Winter Paris Haute Couture Week.I was in the president's office on the top floor of Elysium Group's Manhattan headquarters.Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, Manhattan glittered below me.I had spent ten years biding my time at the bottom, enduring contempt and cold shoulders.Now it all felt like dust beneath my feet.There was a knock at my office door.Emily, the newly appointed director of European procurement, came in carrying a report."Ms. Whitmore, our latest couture leather collection has been shipped to flagship stores worldwide."The VIP clients love them. They all say this year's leather is the best we've ever had and that it feels incredible."Even our competitors are trying to find out who's supplying us."I picked up the black coffee on my desk and took a sip."How are things going with Elena?"Emily answered at once. "She's officially taken over Marco's former shop and completed the renovations."It's called Cuore Artigiano now. The name mean