I Made My Husband Don,Then Took Him DownChapter 3

“Still angry?”

Damian sat beside me and pushed a box across the table.

“You put me in a tough spot today. I brought Brooke into the company. You hauled her in for questioning before she'd even settled in. What are my people supposed to think?”

“They'll wonder why you're protecting the girl who hit your daughter.”

He frowned.

“I brought you a gift, didn't I? What else do you want?”

Inside the box lay a delicate diamond bracelet.

Earlier that day, Vanessa had posted a photo of an expensive necklace Damian had given her. The bracelet was a free gift from the store's holiday promotion.

Looking at it, I finally understood why his gifts had always felt like afterthoughts.

He held out the other box to Elena.

“I got you something, too. Pack tomorrow. I'll have someone drive you to the warehouse.”

Elena didn't take it.

He kept holding out the box, his expression darkening.

“Did you hear what I said?”

“She's not going,” I said.

He looked at me, then set the box on the table.

“Fine. There's something I've been meaning to tell you both anyway.”

“Richard Hale is taking Elena to dinner next month.”

I looked up.

Richard ran a waterfront crew that sometimes worked with us and sometimes fought us for business. He owned freight and warehousing companies. He was in his fifties, twice divorced, and older than Damian.

“What did you agree to for her?”

“They'll get to know each other first.” Damian loosened his tie. “He's very taken with Elena. If we arrange a marriage, it'll solve a lot of our problems on the waterfront.”

Elena went pale.

“I'm not marrying him.”

“For now, no one's asking whether you want to.”

He said it so casually, as if our daughter's marriage were a contract waiting for a signature.

I picked up the jewelry box and hurled it into his lap.

“What are you getting in exchange for my daughter?”

“Viviana!”

“Answer me.”

He stood, finally letting his anger show.

“Your father knew you can't put your own wishes ahead of the family. If you keep sheltering her like this, how is she ever supposed to run the family business?”

“She'll earn her place through her work, not her marriage.”

Elena got up and went to her room.

Damian watched her leave, then lowered his voice. “I've already discussed it with Richard. You back out now, and how do you think that makes me look?”

“You made the promise. You can tell him it's off.”

He stared at me as though he had finally reached his limit.

“Stop throwing the Bellandi name in my face. Your father's dead. I'm the one in charge now.”

He slammed the door behind him.

I went to Elena's room. She sat on the edge of her bed, tears running silently down her face.

“Mom, has he been trying to get rid of me all along?”

I held her.

“No one gets to force you into a marriage you don't want.”

She leaned against my shoulder. After a long time, she asked, “Why don't you throw him out now?”

“Because I want more than that.”

I smoothed her hair.

“I want to know exactly what he's done. And I want everyone who helped him humiliate you to watch him give back the power that was never his.”

Over the next three days, Daniel examined the companies' finances and hiring records. Salvatore contacted each of the men who had vouched for Damian when he became don.

Some hesitated. Some tried to persuade me to compromise for the sake of my marriage.

I showed them my daughter's bruises, Brooke's threats, and several unexplained payments to people connected to Damian.

“Today, he's using my daughter to cover his business losses. Tomorrow, he could use yours to secure a future for his other family.”

Marco, the man my father had put in charge of the waterfront, was the last to come see me.

After reading the documents, he sat in silence for a long time.

“Ma'am, are you certain?”

“I am.”

He nodded and closed the copy of Damian's succession agreement on the desk in front of me.

“I'll speak to the others.”

The board then voted to remove Damian from his management positions, effective the day of the anniversary dinner. His access would be revoked and his duties reassigned at the same time.

Several key family members also agreed to withdraw their support that day.

The notice Damian received said only that the shareholders and several senior members would announce their plans for the future at the dinner.

He assumed they planned to publicly reaffirm his authority.

Salvatore showed me the message Damian had sent to thank him.

The don who acted untouchable at home sounded so humble it was almost funny.