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My Father Replaced His Heir With a Stranger, So I Took Back My Empire

NovelShort Completed

Billionaire Mafia CEO Hot

Chapters (5)

第1章

At the Moretti family's annual gathering, my father was preparing to name the next head of the family. Every capo in the room turned toward me. I was his only daughter, and for the past seven years, I had served as his underboss. I had negotiated our most dangerous deals, settled disputes between crews, and protected the Moretti name when our enemies tried to tear it apart. Everyone expected him to choose me. Instead, my father raised his glass. "From tonight forward, Wilfred Moretti will be my successor." The room exploded into whispers. I stared at him, certain I had heard wrong. Wilfred was my cousin. He had only been officially involved in the family's business for a year. I slowly stood. "I've given eight years of my life to this family. I'm your daughter." My voice trembled despite my effort to keep it steady. "Wilfred has barely earned his place at this table. What makes him qualified to lead the Moretti family?" My father's expression didn't change. "Because Wilfred is better than you." The words landed harder than a slap. "In one year, he's already accomplished more than you did in eight." For several seconds, I said nothing. Then I laughed. It was bitter enough to silence the entire room. Because I knew that wasn't the real reason. This had never been about ability. My father cared about tradition. About appearances. About having a man inherit the Moretti name. No matter how much blood I spilled for this family, he would never believe his daughter deserved to sit in his chair. Fine. If he wanted Wilfred so badly, he could have him. I had built half the family's most profitable operations myself. The people who kept them running answered to me, not Wilfred. If my father insisted on handing everything I had earned to someone else, I would take my people and build something of my own. I looked at him one last time. From that moment on, I was done fighting to be the daughter he wanted. I was done being a Moretti. …… My laughter left the entire room stunned. The smile vanished from my father's face. "Have you lost your mind?" he snapped. "Maybe I have." I stopped laughing and looked straight at him. "And you're the one who drove me to it." "When the Moretti family was surrounded by enemies and losing territory every week, I was the one meeting our allies, negotiating with rival families, and keeping our crews from falling apart." "When our ports were shut down, I rebuilt our entire smuggling route. I went days without sleep making sure every shipment got through. That route became our most profitable operation and pulled this family back from the edge." Every word silenced the room. Several capos nodded. They knew exactly what I had done for the Moretti family. My father's expression only hardened. "Enough! You're humiliating me in front of everyone." His jaw tightened. "Fine. I'll admit you've done your share. But you're still not as capable as Wilfred. He came back a year ago, and he's already secured an alliance with the Castellano family." "You spent an entire year trying and failed." I froze. Because that alliance was mine. A year of secret meetings. Endless negotiations. More than once, I'd walked into enemy territory without knowing if I would walk back out. Three days ago, the Castellanos had finally agreed to my terms. My father had even told me he would announce the alliance tonight. I never imagined he planned to hand all the credit to Wilfred. All so no one could accuse him of favoring his own daughter. Right on cue, Wilfred stepped forward. "Uncle, I don't have enough experience to lead the family yet. I shouldn't take her place." He glanced at me with carefully measured concern. "Let her remain your successor. I don't want this to come between you and your daughter." He paused. "I'm willing to serve beneath her." I almost laughed again. Every word was perfectly calculated. He sounded humble and loyal while making sure he had nothing to lose. Even if my father changed his mind, Wilfred would still secure a place as one of the family's highest-ranking men. But my father saw none of it. Instead, he turned on me. "Look at Wilfred. He knows how to respect this family. He knows when to put his pride aside." His voice rose. "And you? All you know how to do is challenge me." He looked around the room. "My decision is final. Wilfred will be the next head of the Moretti family." His gaze returned to me. "Anyone who has a problem with that can leave." A brief pause. "That includes you." The threat couldn't have been clearer. Beside him, Wilfred lowered his head, but I still caught the faint smile at the corner of his mouth. Whispers spread through the room. Some looked at me with pity. Others were already moving toward Wilfred, raising their glasses and offering their congratulations. They knew where the power was shifting. Something inside me finally went cold. I looked at my father one last time. "Then let Wilfred be the child you wanted." His expression changed. I removed the Moretti family ring from my finger and placed it on the table. "I'm done." The room fell silent. My father stared at me. So did everyone else. None of them seemed able to believe that after eight years of fighting for this family, I was walking away from it. I didn't give them time to react. I turned around and walked out.

第2章

I'd barely reached the hallway when my father came after me. "Grace." He caught my arm, frowning. "Can't you act like an adult for once? Challenging me in front of every capo in the family made us both look like fools." "Wilfred lost his parents young. We have an obligation to look after him." "And right now, I can't let anyone think I'm handing power to you just because you're my daughter. Once I secure my seat on the Commission, I'll find a way to name you as my successor." He tightened his grip. "Now go back inside. Apologize and tell everyone you're willing to serve under Wilfred." For one stupid second, I'd thought he'd followed me to make things right. I should have known better. "Do you remember when I earned a place at the Palermo training compound?" I asked. "You gave it to Wilfred instead, even though he barely passed the family trials." "You said you couldn't show favoritism." "You said Wilfred had no parents and no one else to help him." "You promised my turn would come later." I looked straight at him. "So when exactly is 'later'?" This had been happening my entire life. When I was young, I ranked first in every family trial, yet I was never allowed into the Moretti inner circle. My father always gave me the same excuse. He couldn't show favoritism. Then he pulled strings to get Wilfred into the very places I'd earned for myself. For years, I thought I simply wasn't good enough. So I trained harder. I learned how to negotiate, how to run crews, how to survive in rooms filled with men twice my age who wanted me gone. Now I finally understood. It had never mattered how good I was. In my father's eyes, I would never come before Wilfred. And I would never win against his precious excuse of "avoiding favoritism." His face darkened. "Grace, enough!" His voice echoed through the hallway. "If you walk away tonight, don't expect to come back to this family." The threat in his eyes was unmistakable. "Fine." This time, I didn't hesitate. I turned and walked away. My father stood frozen behind me. For once, he seemed to have nothing to say. Outside the estate, the winter wind cut straight through my coat. Dad. I don't need you anymore. I can build something without the Moretti name. I pulled out my phone and sent a message to Paul Farley, the youngest heir of a powerful family on the East Coast. Heard you're looking for somewhere to put all that money. Interested in backing me? His reply came almost immediately. Absolutely. Meet me at our usual place tonight. We'll talk. I'll even show you the eight-pack I've been working on. I laughed despite myself. Ever since Paul found out I was single again, flirting with me had become one of his favorite hobbies. I put my phone away and headed home to pack. The moment I stepped inside the Moretti residence, I saw my mother sitting in the living room. "Mom, I..." A cushion flew straight at my face. "What were you thinking?" She shot to her feet. "How could you humiliate your father in front of the entire family? And why do you always have to go after Wilfred?" "It's only the position of successor. You're both Morettis. What difference does it make which one of you eventually leads the family?" So she'd already heard. Of course she had. No concern. No comfort. Only blame. I took a slow breath. "If we're both Morettis, then why don't you and Dad just make Wilfred your son?" My voice was surprisingly calm. "You can be his parents from now on." "You..." She crossed the room and slapped me hard across the face. My head snapped to the side. "This is exactly why your father didn't choose you," she hissed. "You're selfish. Disrespectful. You have no idea what loyalty to this family means." I tasted blood. Then, suddenly, I laughed. "Mom." I turned back to face her. "You're calling me selfish?" "Ever since you brought Wilfred into this house, every privilege I earned, every opportunity, every place beside Dad, didn't you ask me to give it to him?"

第3章

"The place at the family training academy, the chance to spend two years learning our overseas operations, you gave all of it to Wilfred." "There was even a time he nearly killed a man during a street fight, and you made me take the blame." "When I finally joined the family, you kept me on a tight leash because you were so afraid of 'favoritism.' I had to account for every dollar I spent, while Wilfred could burn through thirty thousand in a single night." I stared at my mother. "Did I ever complain?" "How much more obedient did you want me to be?" For once, she had no answer. I didn't wait for one. I went upstairs, packed a few clothes into a bag, and headed for the door. "What do you think you're doing? Leaving the family?" She had found her voice again. Still no apology. Only anger. I kept walking. "Grace!" Her voice followed me. "All this because your father didn't name you his successor?" "You ungrateful child! If you walk out that door tonight, don't ever come back!" "I'll pretend I never had a daughter!" I'd heard those words my entire life. But she was still my mother. For years, some foolish part of me had believed that if I worked hard enough, sacrificed enough, eventually my parents would see me. That was why I'd never been able to leave before. This time, I slammed the door behind me. The winter wind cut through my coat. Somehow, it still felt warmer than that house. I didn't even have my own car. Dad had always said it would look bad if the daughter of the Moretti boss drove something too extravagant. People might think he spoiled me. Mom said Wilfred hadn't gotten his first car yet, and she didn't want him to feel inferior. I had barely reached the gates when a black car pulled up beside me. The window lowered. Paul Farley. Heir to one of the most powerful families on the East Coast. I climbed in and frowned at him. "What are you doing here? I thought we were meeting at the usual place." "The whole underworld already knows you walked out on the Morettis." I froze. Then I checked my phone. The news had spread through every private channel used by the city's major families. Moretti heiress cast aside. Wilfred Moretti named successor. Grace Moretti publicly breaks with her family after succession dispute. My parents had sent messages too. Without the Moretti name, who do you think will respect you? Stop being selfish. Come home, apologize to your father and Wilfred, and we'll forget this happened. Keep acting like this and you'll end up alone. When trouble comes, no family will protect you. I didn't reply. I just smiled. Without the Moretti name, I was nobody? We'd see about that. Paul took me to a discreet lounge frequented by people from the city's old families. The moment I walked inside, I saw a familiar face. My steps stopped. Louis Sullivan. My childhood sweetheart. My ex-boyfriend. He was sitting close to Wilfred, one arm wrapped around his waist. Wilfred leaned against him with a soft smile, looking far too comfortable for this to be new. My mind went blank. "There's your answer." Paul's voice came quietly beside me. "You really can be blind sometimes. They've been together since they were overseas." "What?" For a moment, I couldn't process the words. Then I felt like the biggest fool alive. Years ago, my parents had actually suggested that I step aside and let Wilfred have Louis. Their excuse had been ridiculous. They claimed that if Louis married the boss's daughter, the other families might accuse my father of forcing the Sullivan family into an alliance. I refused. Dad had me beaten with a cane until I could barely stand. I still refused. Not long after that, Louis was sent overseas. We spent four years apart. During those four years, I paid for his apartment, his expenses, and everything he needed while he established himself within the Sullivan family's overseas territory. Then he came home. And ended things with me. His eyes had been red when he said it. "Grace, your family puts too much pressure on me. Your parents will never accept us." "So let's end it here." "I don't want to hold you back."

第4章

I tried everything to make Louis stay. The money I'd saved wasn't much by our world's standards, but it was enough for us to leave the city and start over somewhere far from the Moretti family. Enough that he would never have to worry about surviving on his own. He blocked me without another word. For months afterward, I lived in a fog, blaming myself for everything. I thought I hadn't given Louis enough security. That I hadn't been enough to make him stay. But the scene in front of me now felt like a slap across the face. The moment Louis saw me, surprise flashed across his face. Then he quickly looked away. Wilfred didn't let him hide. He took Louis by the arm and brought him straight over to me. "Cousin." His expression was almost apologetic. "I've wanted to tell you for a long time. I just never knew how." He slipped his arm through Louis's. "Please don't be angry. Louis and I love each other." Something inside me snapped. My fist was already swinging toward Wilfred when Louis stepped between us. "Enough, Grace!" He caught my wrist. "Is this how you treat your own family? You don't get to hit him." I stared at him. "Why?" My voice shook despite myself. "Why would you do this to me?" Louis fell silent. Then he finally looked me in the eyes. "Because you're the daughter the Morettis threw away." My chest tightened. "Wilfred is the one your parents chose. He's the future head of the Moretti family." The words cut deeper than I expected. Then I laughed. Love. Family. Apparently, neither meant much once power entered the room. Paul stepped forward, but I stopped him. I caught his arm and turned toward the exit. There was nothing left to say. Words wouldn't change anything. In our world, power was the only argument anyone respected. And sooner or later, they would learn exactly how much power I had without the Moretti name. "Cousin." Wilfred hurried after me. "Tomorrow is my succession banquet. You should come." He held out an invitation, a smug smile barely hidden on his face. That was when I understood. Running into them tonight hadn't been an accident. Wilfred had planned this. Why else would he already have an invitation waiting for me? "Sure." I took it from him. "I'll be there." I walked away without another glance. Once Paul and I were back in the car, I turned to him. "I need a favor." He smiled. "Relax. Tomorrow is already taken care of." We exchanged a look. Nothing else needed to be said. The next evening, I arrived on time at the Moretti estate, where my father was holding Wilfred's succession banquet. The guests hadn't arrived yet. My parents, Wilfred, and Louis were already there. The moment they saw me, their expressions turned cold. My father gave a contemptuous snort. "Look at Wilfred. After everything you did, he still cared enough to invite you." "And you? All you've done is throw a tantrum because you didn't get what you wanted." My mother stepped forward. "Apologize to your father and Wilfred. Do that, and we'll forget everything that happened." Her eyes hardened. "This is your last chance, Grace. Don't waste it." Neither of them seemed remotely surprised to see Louis standing beside Wilfred. So they had known. Maybe they had known all along. Maybe sending Louis overseas had never been about protecting me from gossip. They had simply been giving Wilfred another thing that once belonged to me. "Cousin." Wilfred smiled. "Families don't stay angry forever. Just put your pride aside." Louis nodded. "Your uncle was willing to give you a place among the capos. That should have been enough. They acknowledged what you could do." "You should have been grateful." I listened to them lecture me as though I were the unreasonable one. Then I smiled. "Who said I came for Wilfred's banquet?" My parents stared at me. A second later, they laughed. Before either could speak, the low rumble of engines rolled through the estate. One car after another approached the gates. My father immediately straightened his jacket. "Forget her." He glanced at me coldly. "Let's welcome our guests." He led the others toward the entrance. Black cars lined the drive. Representatives from the city's most powerful families stepped out one after another. Capos. Underbosses. Consiglieres. Men whose names carried weight across the entire East Coast. But none of them entered the Moretti estate. They stopped outside the doors. Waiting. My father's smile slowly faded. "What is everyone waiting for?" He gestured toward the hall. "Please, come inside." No one moved. I walked past him. "They're waiting for my permission."

第5章

My father spun around, his brow furrowing. "What are you trying to pull now? Can you stop causing trouble for one night?" "Cousin, maybe you should step aside," Wilfred said softly. "They might not want to come in while you're standing here." His meaning was obvious. The guests were refusing to enter because of me. Because after breaking with the Morettis, I was supposedly bad luck. My parents believed him immediately. "Get out of here!" my father snapped. "All you do is bring trouble to this family. What are you still standing there for?" My mother glared at me with undisguised hatred. I wasn't angry. I wasn't even disappointed anymore. I just found it amusing. I turned toward the waiting crowd. "Everyone." "It's cold outside. Please, come in." The response was immediate. "Of course, Miss Moretti." "Thank you." One by one, representatives from the city's most powerful families walked past my father and entered the estate. My parents, Wilfred, and Louis stood frozen. None of them had expected that. My father quickly grabbed Zion Lambert, an old ally of the Moretti family. "Zion, what's going on? Why are they listening to Grace?" His face darkened. "She walked away from the family. She has nothing now." "Exactly," my mother added. "Wilfred is the Moretti successor. Why would anyone care what Grace says?" Zion stared at them. "You people..." He sighed, clearly about to explain. Then he spotted Paul approaching behind me. His expression changed instantly. "Stay away from me." He pulled his arm free from my father's grip. "I want nothing to do with whatever you've gotten yourselves into." Zion hurried inside. My father stood there in disbelief. For years, the Moretti name had commanded respect throughout the city. No one had ever dismissed him like that. "You had someone capable enough to hold this family together, and you threw her aside for someone who hasn't earned a fraction of her power." Paul stopped beside me and looked at my father. "Don Moretti, you were holding the strongest hand at the table." "And somehow, you still managed to lose." My father's face turned crimson. Louis immediately stepped forward. "Uncle, don't listen to him. He's close to Grace. Of course he'll take her side." "Ungrateful." My father clenched his jaw. "Absolutely ungrateful." Then his eyes narrowed. "But why are all the families we invited listening to her?" No one answered. Wilfred's gaze shifted. Then he spoke carefully. "Uncle, do you think Grace might have taken something when she left?" My father's expression changed. Wilfred lowered his voice. "She handled our routes, alliances, accounts, and contacts for years. She knows almost everything about the Moretti family's operations." He paused, then gave an innocent shrug. "Maybe she traded some of that information for support." "But I'm only guessing. Forget I said anything." I almost admired how easily he planted the idea. My father's face turned cold. "No." His voice hardened. "You're right." "She spent eight years inside our inner circle. She knows every route, every alliance, every weakness we have." My mother's face twisted with fury. "That ungrateful girl!" "After everything this family gave her, she betrayed us?" She looked toward the doors where I had disappeared. "I should never have raised her. She'll never be half the person Wilfred is." My father gave a cold laugh. "It doesn't matter." "Once those families get whatever information they want from her, they'll throw her aside." He adjusted his coat and turned away. "Let's go." "We'll return to the compound and gather everything we have on her." His eyes were colder than I'd ever seen them. "If Grace betrayed the Moretti family, she'll answer for it before the council." He paused. "In our world, family means nothing once someone becomes a traitor." "She made her choice." "Now she'll live with the consequences."