He Fired Me. Now His Empire Is Burning Chapter 06
A few days later, during a conversation with Don Vitiello, he brought up the Corleone family.
“Word from New York is the Corleones took a massive hit in a shootout with the Colombians. They lost nearly half their turf, more than half their core crew is dead or wounded, and Henry himself got shot. The Corleone family is nothing but an empty shell now.”
I wasn’t surprised by the news.
“He got what he deserved, Don,” I said with a slight smile. “A boss who’s all greed and no brains is bound to run his family straight into the ground.”
The old Don nodded in approval, but then his expression grew a little more serious. “However, it seems this Henry isn’t ready to go down without a fight. After failing to get help from other families, he’s started spreading a rumor throughout the North American underworld.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Oh? And what’s he saying?”
“He’s saying you betrayed the Corleone family. Claiming that when you left, you intentionally leaked the family’s core secrets and trade routes to the Colombians, and that’s what led to their downfall,” the Don said, watching me. “Now, a lot of crews in New York are talking. Even within our own family, a few capos who don’t know the full story are starting to question your loyalty.”
I couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh.
Henry, Henry. You really are a cornered rat, resorting to cheap tricks like this.
Did he think smearing my name would cover up for his own incompetence?
Or did he think this would force my hand?
“Don, do you believe him?” I asked, looking the old man in the eye, completely unfazed.
“If I did, you wouldn’t be sitting here drinking coffee with me,” the Don chuckled, his eyes full of trust. “But I need to give my family an answer, and I need to shut up the fools who are running their mouths.”
“Don’t worry, Don. I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time,” I said, rising to my feet. I walked to the window and stared out at the glittering sea, my eyes turning to ice. “If he wants to play, I’ll play. I’m going to hand him the shovel and let him dig his own grave.”
I didn’t make a move. I let the rumors fester in the underworld for two full days.
The gossip spread like wildfire. Countless people were calling me a “backstabbing traitor.” What was left of the Corleone crew was screaming for my head.
Just as the noise reached its peak, when even the whispers inside the Vitiello family grew louder, I made my move.
I used the Vitiello family’s vast and efficient intelligence network to send a carefully prepared package- documents and audio files-directly to the head of every significant crime family in North America.
The package contained:
First, the power transfer agreement signed by Henry himself, proving I had left the family peacefully.
Second, a copy of the handover file I left for Lucy, with all the warnings and deal-breakers for the Colombian transaction clearly marked in red ink. It proved not only that I hadn’t leaked anything, but that I had prepared for every contingency. Their failure was due to their own stupidity.
And the kill shot was the third item: a recording of the meeting where Henry tried to frame me for embezzling a hundred and fifty thousand dollars.
The moment the evidence dropped, the narrative across the entire North American underworld flipped.
Not only had Henry failed to tarnish my name, but he had cemented his own reputation as an incompetent, greedy, and treacherous fool who couldn’t tell a friend from an enemy.
He tried to frame a loyal advisor for money, only to get screwed over by the new favorite he’d promoted, dragging his family into ruin in the process.
He became the biggest laughingstock in the North American underworld. The Corleone name was mud.
A few days later, I was playing chess with the Don in the manor when the butler hurried in, a strange look on his face. He whispered something in the Don’s ear.
The Don listened, then turned to me, a playful smile on his lips. “Madeline, it seems your ‘old friend’ has arrived. He’s brought his last remaining asset-that important shipping dock on the East Harbor—and is begging for a meeting, seeking the Vitiello family’s protection.”
