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They Sent Me to Clean Toilets, Not Knowing I Owned the Future

NovelShort new Completed

Billionaire Mafia CEO Hot

Chapters (5)

第1章

The first night I was brought back to the Moretti family, they held a private dinner to welcome their long-lost daughter home. The Morettis were one of the most powerful Mafia families on the East Coast. Halfway through dinner, my younger sister picked up an unpeeled shrimp and dropped it into my bowl. She smiled sweetly. "Eat the shell too. It's full of calcium." I stared at the shrimp. "The Morettis control half the ports on the East Coast, and we're so broke I'm supposed to eat shrimp shells for calcium?" The dining room went dead silent. My father stopped cutting his steak. My brothers stared at me. Even my sister's smile froze. I blinked. Oh. Apparently, I'd said that out loud. …… Even so, I couldn't stop thinking. Human stomach acid couldn't properly digest shrimp shells anyway. If the Morettis were really that desperate for calcium, milk would be easier. Shrimp shells were basically kitchen waste. Across the table, my younger sister, Elowen Moretti, visibly stiffened. Her expression darkened. I noticed and decided to let it go. Forget it. With that adenoid face, she probably wasn't very bright. Better not waste my time. Elowen slowly lowered her fork. I glanced at her and continued thinking. My research project at the institute was almost finished. Once it entered clinical trials and passed approval, maybe I could give her something for that brain of hers. Consider it an early intervention for bad genetics. Elowen's eyes instantly turned red. Her lips trembled. "It's my fault." She looked down, her voice full of grievance. "I took the life that should've belonged to Sylvana." "She must have suffered so much all those years away from the family. Maybe you should send me away instead. Then she won't have to hate me anymore." My mother immediately pulled Elowen into her arms. My father's face darkened. Only my older brother, Jasper Moretti, reacted openly. He slammed his fork onto the table and glared at me. "What the hell is wrong with you?" "She gives you a shrimp, and you act like she's trying to humiliate you?" His eyes were full of disgust. "I said from the beginning we shouldn't bring you back." "We've been a family for all these years. Why show up now and ruin everything?" He gave a cold laugh. "Is it the Moretti fortune you're after?" "Forget it." "Everything this family owns will belong to Elowen before it ever belongs to you." My mother hugged Elowen tighter before turning to me. "Sylvana, you just came home." "Do you really have to start fighting with your sister at the first family dinner?" She frowned. "Apologize to her." I calmly set down my fork and looked around the table. I really don't want to eat garbage. And isn't her innocent-little-victim act painfully obvious? She's been crying for five minutes and hasn't produced a single tear. Do I seriously have to eat shrimp shells just to make her happy? The thought continued before I could stop it. Why does everyone in this family seem a little slow? Is stupidity contagious? Once my drug passes clinical trials, maybe I should let all of them try it. Silence. Absolute silence. Everyone around the table exchanged uneasy glances. The atmosphere suddenly became strange. I sighed inwardly. I should never have listened to my mentor. Why did I come back here? This was worse than a cheap family drama. Jasper's face turned livid. "Let me make one thing clear." "You are not going to come into this house and turn us against each other." He pointed at me. "Sharing our blood doesn't make you entitled to anything." Then he grabbed the shrimp shells from my plate and dumped them into his own. "These used to be my favorite anyway." "If you're too ungrateful to eat them, fine." "Don't expect to fit into this family." Then, right in front of me, Jasper started crunching on the shells. I stared at him. Maybe my research really was more urgent than I'd thought. My father, Don Vincent Moretti, seemed completely unfazed. He set down his wineglass and looked at me. "Sylvana, isn't it?" I raised an eyebrow. Apparently, my own father still needed to confirm my name. "You've spent most of your life far away from the family," he continued. "Coming into our world overnight won't be easy." "For now, I'll arrange a position for you at one of our legitimate businesses." He paused. "Start with the cleaning staff at the Moretti Grand Hotel. Learn how the family operates from the bottom." Cleaning staff. For the biological daughter he'd just brought home. Then he turned to Elowen. His expression softened immediately. "Elowen, your mother and I raised you." He reached over and gently stroked her hair. "Blood doesn't change that. You will always be our daughter." He glanced at me. "Your sister simply isn't used to our way of life yet. She probably never had shrimp where she grew up. She didn't understand that you were trying to help." I almost laughed. Then Vincent looked back at Elowen. "Didn't you say you wanted to start working with the family after graduation?" "Report directly to my office." "You'll work with my consigliere and learn how our legitimate operations are managed." His voice became almost indulgent. "Once you're ready, I'll put one of the Moretti companies under your control."

第2章

Elowen's face lit up instantly. She practically bounced over to Vincent and kissed him loudly on the cheek. "Thank you, Dad! You're the best!" Then she turned to me. Her concern looked painfully fake. "Sylvana, you smell a little..." She wrinkled her nose. "Different." "Living out in the middle of nowhere all those years, you probably didn't get to shower very often, did you?" She smiled sweetly. "But don't worry. The Moretti Grand Hotel has excellent employee facilities." "You can shower in the staff locker room after your shift." "Isn't that great?" I stared at her. For one serious moment, I considered calling the institute and asking whether they could send someone to investigate this family. Are the Morettis secretly working for a hostile foreign government? The adopted daughter gets trained by the consigliere, while the biological daughter gets sent to scrub hotel toilets? What kind of third-rate Mafia drama is this? Vincent's hand, still resting on Elowen's head, stiffened. Jasper gave a dismissive laugh. "You think just anyone gets to work for a Moretti business?" "Even the hotel cleaning staff gets full health coverage, retirement benefits, paid leave, and housing assistance." He looked me up and down. "You probably don't even know what half of that means." I sighed inwardly. I don't really pay attention to benefits at the institute. But I vaguely remember my senior researcher saying our federal package covers practically everything, plus research grants and lifetime patent royalties. Is basic health insurance really supposed to impress me? The smug look on Jasper's face froze. Besides, I own five medical patents. I'm not exactly broke. Why does everyone here think I'm some starving hillbilly who survives on kitchen scraps? This is exhausting. The atmosphere around the table became even stranger. Elowen, completely unaware, happily ate the shrimp everyone had peeled for her. Every few bites, she glanced at me with a smug little smile. I felt nothing. Not anger. Not jealousy. Nothing. Her attempts to provoke me were almost childish. "Enough." Vincent sounded irritated. "If she doesn't want to eat, don't force her." He waved a hand toward one of the housemaids. "Take Sylvana to her room." I stood and followed the maid upstairs. As we walked, I went back to mentally reviewing the final stage of my experiment. At the end of the corridor, the maid stopped beside the smallest door. "This is your room." I looked inside. She continued in a flat voice. "Miss Elowen is a light sleeper, so unless it's absolutely necessary, don't leave your room at night." I glanced toward the hallway bathroom. The maid immediately blocked my view. "You won't be using that." She pointed to a bucket inside my room. "You can take care of yourself in here. Empty and clean it in the courtyard every morning." I stopped. Interesting. One of the most powerful Mafia families on the East Coast, and this was how they treated their newly recovered daughter. Apparently, if I didn't draw a line now, even the servants would think they could walk all over me. I looked at the maid. Then I stepped closer and lowered my voice. "I can tolerate the Morettis being stupid." "Unfortunately, we're related by blood." Her expression changed. "But you?" I smiled faintly. "You're an employee." "Who gave you the nerve to treat me like this?" The maid froze. "I... I didn't..." "Didn't you?" I gave a quiet laugh. I was about to call out exactly what she was doing when she suddenly shoved me. Hard. I hit the floor. The crash immediately drew footsteps from downstairs. Within moments, the family appeared at the end of the corridor. Elowen arrived first. "What are you doing?" She rushed toward the maid without even looking at me. "Why are you attacking Agnes?" Agnes immediately straightened. With Elowen beside her, the fear vanished from her face. "Miss Sylvana didn't like the room." She looked at me accusingly. "She threw herself onto the floor and tried to blame me." Jasper folded his arms. "I knew bringing her back was a mistake." His voice dripped with contempt. "She's been here for a few hours and she's already scheming against the staff." My mother frowned. "If you didn't like the room, Sylvana, you could have told us." "There was no reason to create a scene." She placed a comforting hand on Agnes's shoulder. "Agnes has served the Moretti family for more than ten years. We know exactly what kind of person she is." I stared at them. Unbelievable. Believing Elowen without question was stupid enough. Now they're siding with a maid too? I'm the daughter you supposedly spent years trying to find. Even if I were a complete stranger, shouldn't someone at least ask why a servant thought she had the right to shove me onto the floor? Seriously. How did a family this stupid survive this long in the Mafia?

第3章

Is this what they call a bedroom? Even a prison cell would be better. A bucket in the corner, and I'm supposed to empty it in the courtyard every morning? People in remote villages don't even live like this anymore. My mother shifted awkwardly and looked toward Vincent. For the first time, confusion crossed his face. He frowned at the room. Before he could speak, Elowen jumped in. "Sylvana, didn't you grow up on the Colorado Plateau?" She tilted her head innocently. "I heard people there still live in caves. Wouldn't using a bucket be normal for you?" Then she turned to Agnes. "Agnes has served our family faithfully for years. Why would you bully her?" Her voice became even more righteous. "Mom and Dad already have enough to deal with every day. Can you please stop causing trouble?" "If you're angry, take it out on me instead." She stepped forward. "You can even hit me if it'll make you feel better." The contempt in her eyes didn't match her pitiful voice. My mother immediately pulled her close. "Elowen, don't say that." She stroked her hair. "We raised you ourselves. You're our precious daughter. No one is going to hurt you." "Touch her and see what happens." Jasper pointed at me, looking more like a street thug than the son of a Mafia don. I sighed. "The institute chose the Colorado Plateau because the isolation and climate are ideal for certain experiments." I looked at Elowen. "This isn't the nineteenth century. Who exactly do you think is still living in caves?" Her expression stiffened. "And if you really didn't want me back, you could've just said so." I gestured toward the bucket. "But putting a chamber pot inside a Moretti estate?" "Have we really fallen this far?" Elowen's face changed. Before anyone could question her, she threw herself into my mother's arms and burst into loud sobs. My mother immediately started crying with her. I ignored them and pushed open the bedroom door. A cloud of dust hit me in the face. I coughed and stepped back. The room looked half-demolished. Large sections of plaster had been stripped from the walls. One window was broken, and cold air poured through the cracked glass. I covered my mouth. "You've really outdone yourselves." Vincent's expression finally darkened. He stepped forward and looked inside. "Why hasn't this room been renovated?" His voice turned cold. "I gave orders weeks ago." Elowen stiffened. "Dad, it's been cold lately." She avoided his eyes. "No contractors wanted to come." I stared at her. Is she actually stupid? Since when do contractors stop working because it's cold? And if nobody came to renovate it, who tore the walls apart? Did she do it herself? I rubbed my temple. No. I need to call the institute tonight. If I stay here much longer, I'm genuinely worried my IQ might start dropping. That would be a loss to medical science. Vincent's face went rigid. "Enough." He immediately ordered Agnes to prepare one of the guest suites for me. By the next morning, word had already spread that the Moretti family's biological daughter had finally returned. For a family like ours, that wasn't just gossip. The Morettis had enemies everywhere. Rival families and business competitors immediately seized on the story, especially those who knew how fiercely Vincent and my mother had always protected Elowen. Rumors began circulating through the press and upper circles. The Moretti family's real daughter was back. What would happen to the adopted one? Would there be a fight over inheritance? Would Vincent choose blood or the daughter he'd raised? The Morettis responded quickly. A formal reception would be held that evening to introduce me. I knew exactly what it really was. Calling it a family reunion sounded nice. In reality, Vincent needed to show allies, politicians, bankers, and rival families that there was no instability inside the Moretti household. I was merely the excuse. Even though the reception was supposedly being held for me, no one paid much attention to what I wanted. Elowen, on the other hand, was everywhere. Choosing gowns. Reviewing the guest list. Giving instructions to the staff. Checking the ballroom. She fluttered around the estate like an overexcited peacock, as if the entire reception were being held in her honor. Night came quickly. Black cars began pulling through the Moretti estate gates one after another. Politicians. Businessmen. Old-money families. Men whose influence extended far beyond anything printed on their business cards. The first floor of the estate had been transformed into a ballroom. Crystal glasses lined the tables beside expensive champagne and carefully prepared dishes. And there, at the entrance, stood Elowen. A wineglass in her hand. A dazzling smile on her face. She greeted every arriving guest like the perfect daughter of the Moretti family. Like I was the outsider who had wandered into her home by mistake.

第4章

I was called downstairs early, but the Morettis made no effort to introduce me to anyone. Almost no one paid attention to me. I didn't mind. Being ignored meant I could sit quietly in a corner and review the latest data from the institute. I was so absorbed in the microscopic reaction playing across my screen that I didn't notice anyone approaching. Suddenly, my phone disappeared from my hand. My heart dropped. "What are you doing?" I shot to my feet. "Give it back. Now." Elowen held my phone and looked completely unconcerned. "Sylvana, tonight is important to the Moretti family." She glanced around the crowded ballroom. "We've spent all day preparing this reception for you. You refuse to help greet our guests, and now you're hiding in a corner playing with your phone?" She smiled. "Isn't that a little rude?" "My phone contains classified material." I ignored her taunts and reached for it. "Give it back." Elowen immediately stepped away. Instead of returning the phone, she moved into the center of the ballroom and deliberately raised her voice. "Sylvana, even if you don't like us, you don't have to behave like this." Heads began turning. "Mom and Dad invited half the city's most important people here because they wanted to welcome you into the family." She sighed dramatically. "Can't you think about the Moretti family's reputation for one night?" "Elowen." My voice sharpened. "Give me the phone." I was genuinely panicking now. The data stored on that device was classified at the highest level. If anything leaked, the consequences would go far beyond the Moretti family. Elowen's eyes brightened when she saw my reaction. "What, is your phone more important than your family?" She shook her head. "You can't put it down for one evening?" Her smile turned mocking. "Didn't anyone teach you basic manners?" "Apparently not." Jasper appeared beside her. He looked me up and down with open contempt. "Look at you. The Morettis bring you home, hold a reception in your honor, and this is how you behave?" His face darkened. "You're embarrassing the family." "You don't understand." I stepped forward. "Taking that device is a federal offense." Jasper laughed. He casually took the phone from Elowen. "A federal offense?" He held it up. "Then come get it." I rushed toward him. My eyes were already burning from panic. But just as my fingers were about to close around the phone, Jasper tossed it over my head. "Catch." Elowen caught it easily. She burst out laughing. "Sylvana, it's over here." She waved the phone at me. The gesture looked like someone teasing a dog with a toy. Several nearby guests stopped talking. Within seconds, people throughout the ballroom were watching. Some looked amused. Others whispered behind their wineglasses. I didn't care. I only wanted the phone back. I lunged for Elowen. She tossed it to Jasper. Jasper threw it back. Again. And again. By the time Vincent and my mother finally noticed the commotion and came over, my legs were shaking. I stumbled and dropped to the floor. Vincent frowned. "Enough." He looked at Jasper and Elowen. "You're adults. Stop acting like children." He held out his hand. "Give her the phone." Elowen glanced at the screen. A bright red warning had replaced the research data. ALERT. She rolled her eyes. "Wow." She turned the screen toward Jasper. "She even has some dramatic emergency warning." Then she looked at me. "What are you supposed to be, some kind of secret government agent?" Jasper laughed. "She's really committed to the act." I stared at the red screen. For the first time since Elowen took the phone, I could breathe. The institute didn't issue ordinary commercial phones to its senior researchers. Every device carried multiple layers of encrypted protection. The moment an unauthorized person took mine, fingerprint and iris verification had automatically activated. Elowen and Jasper had failed authentication repeatedly while tossing it back and forth. That had triggered the emergency protocol. The device was locked. The classified files were secure. More importantly, an emergency alert had already been transmitted to the nearest federal security unit. Vincent seemed completely unaware of what had just happened. He turned toward the guests and smoothly lifted his wineglass. "My apologies, everyone." His practiced smile returned. "My daughter spent most of her life isolated from our world. She's still learning how things are done in the Moretti family." A few guests laughed politely. Vincent continued entertaining them as if nothing had happened. He never once looked down at me. I was still sitting on the floor. And somewhere beyond the Moretti estate gates, a federal security team had just received the highest-level emergency alert from my phone.

第5章

Seeing Vincent's attitude, Elowen immediately added with a sweet smile, "Sylvana has already been assigned to the cleaning staff at the Moretti Grand Hotel. She'll learn how our family operates soon enough, so no one needs to worry." Jasper gave a dismissive laugh. "Exactly. Just because someone carries Moretti blood doesn't mean she gets any influence over the family businesses." The message couldn't have been clearer. They were reassuring the bankers, business partners, and Moretti allies in the room that my return wouldn't change anything. The tension among the guests gradually eased. I stood and took back my phone, which had locked itself into emergency mode. "You'd better start thinking about how you're going to explain what you just did." My mother frowned at me. "Enough, Sylvana. Your brother and sister were only joking with you. Why do you have to make everything so serious?" "I warned you." I looked at her calmly. "You chose not to listen. There's nothing else I can do." An older man nearby suddenly spoke. He had silver hair, but his posture was straight and commanding. "I heard your daughter works at a federal research institute." His gaze moved toward me. "Someone trusted with that kind of work is unlikely to be as ignorant as you're suggesting." Then he looked at Jasper and Elowen. "From where I was standing, those two were the ones behaving inappropriately." My mother's expression stiffened. "Mr. Stanton, it wasn't what it looked like." She quickly forced a smile. "Sylvana has always been rather difficult. Elowen and Jasper were only trying to help her adjust to the family." She sighed. "Who knew she couldn't take a joke?" Stanton gave a faint chuckle. "It's your family matter." His expression remained unreadable. "As long as it doesn't interfere with our cooperation, I have no intention of getting involved." "Of course not," Vincent said immediately. He stepped forward with a smile. "Children have disagreements. They can settle them themselves." He raised his glass slightly. "Whatever happens between them will never affect Moretti business." It was obvious Stanton wasn't an ordinary guest. Even Vincent chose his words carefully around him. With that, the incident was quickly buried. Everyone moved on. Everyone except me. I returned to the corner and sat down, gripping my locked phone as I watched the Morettis mingle effortlessly with their guests. The part of the evening that was supposed to formally introduce me disappeared from the schedule without explanation. Instead, another announcement took its place. Elowen Moretti would begin training directly under Vincent's consigliere and would soon take a senior position in one of the family's legitimate companies. She instantly became the center of the reception. Guests surrounded her. "Congratulations, Miss Moretti." "Don Moretti clearly has great faith in you." "You're young, but you're already helping carry the family." Elowen's face glowed with excitement. The more praise she received, the more triumphant she became. After making his rounds, Stanton eventually walked toward me. He hesitated before lowering his voice. "Miss Moretti." I looked up. "You're with the Salk Institute's classified biological research division, aren't you?" My body immediately tensed. I leaned back slightly and studied him. Now that I could see him clearly, his face did seem vaguely familiar. Before I could answer, a burst of applause erupted from the center of the ballroom. Vincent raised his glass. "Thank you all for your continued support of the Moretti family." He placed a hand on Elowen's shoulder. "We won't disappoint the trust you've placed in us." Guests immediately responded. "You've raised an exceptional daughter, Vincent." "Miss Elowen is already taking responsibility for the family at such a young age." "We'll be counting on her in the future." My mother and Jasper stood nearby, watching Elowen with obvious pride. Elowen lifted her champagne glass. Just as everyone prepared to toast, a violent crash came from the entrance. The ballroom fell silent. Then came the sound of heavy, synchronized footsteps. The Moretti guards immediately reached beneath their jackets. Before anyone could react, the estate's front doors burst open. A tactical team flooded inside. Black body armor. Automatic weapons. Federal insignia. The entire room froze. Even Vincent's expression changed. One of the agents raised a hand to his earpiece. "Signal suppression active." His eyes swept across the ballroom before locking onto me. "Target located." Several agents immediately moved in my direction. "Identity confirmed. Senior Principal Researcher Sylvana Moretti." A pause. "Researcher is alive and currently secure." His voice turned cold. "Requesting authorization to initiate protective protocol."