He Fired Me. Now His Empire Is Burning Chapter 07
“Madeline, my child, do you think we should see this fallen Mr. Corleone? After all, that shipping dock is the only card he has left to play.”
A sly smile touched my lips. “Of course we should see him, Don. An old friend has come all this way, and with such a generous ‘gift.’ How could I miss the chance to catch up?”
The meeting was set for that afternoon in the manor’s grand reception hall.
Henry was led in by the butler.
In just a few days, he looked like he had aged ten years.
His once perfectly tailored suit now hung loosely on his frame. His eyes were sunken and bloodshot. The confident swagger of the Corleone Don was completely gone.
The moment he saw the old Don, Henry practically ran towards him, his back bent low, his face plastered with a sycophantic grin. “Don Vitiello, it’s a true honor to meet you! As you know, the Corleone family has always hoped to build the strongest of friendships with you.”
The Don just gestured coolly to the sofa across from him, telling him to sit.
Henry couldn’t wait to play his card.
He took a deep breath, trying to sound like he still had some leverage. “Don, I am willing to sign over the most vital shipping dock in New York to the Vitiello family. You know its value-it generates tens of millions in net profit every year. All I need… is ten million dollars. With that money, I can rebuild. And you will have a stranglehold on shipping in New York.”
He named a high price, his eyes flashing with the last, desperate gamble of a ruined man.
He was desperate to use that money to make a comeback.
Just as the Don was considering this with a noncommittal, knowing smile, the doors to the reception hall swung
open.
I walked in. Henry turned his head, and our eyes met.
The instant he saw my face, Henry looked as if he’d seen a ghost.
He shot up from the sofa, his eyes wide, a trembling finger pointed at me. “M-Madeline?! What are you doing here?!”
His face was a storm of emotions: from shock, to the rage of betrayal, followed by the dawning horror of his mistake, and finally, it settled on pure, gut-deep humiliation.
“Long time no see, Henry,” I said, walking gracefully to the Don’s side. The Don gave me a small, welcoming nod.
I sat down, crossed my legs, and smiled at him. “Allow me to reintroduce myself. I am now the Chief Advisor to the Vitiello family. The dock deal you just mentioned? I’m handling it.”
The color drained from Henry’s face.
He finally understood. Whether or not he could sell his dock and get the money he needed to survive was entirely up to me–the subordinate he had personally betrayed and thrown away.
Henry was silent for a moment, then forced an ugly smile, trying to play the sympathy card. “Madeline… was
there some kind of misunderstanding between us? You know, we worked together for so many years. I always trusted you. All that other business… it was that bitch Lucy, stirring up trouble. For the sake of the five years we fought side-by-side, can you help me out? Please?”
Seeing him groveling like a dog was disgusting, and deeply ironic.
In my past life, I had begged him just like this. And he had coldly watched me walk to my doom.
“Fought side-by-side?” I let out a low laugh. “Henry, you have the nerve to say that to me now?”
I tapped the draft contract on the table. “The Vitiello family will take your dock. But not for ten million.”
Henry swallowed hard, his voice trembling. “Then… then how much?”
“Four million, eight hundred and fifty thousand dollars.”
“That’s impossible!” Henry slammed his hand on the table. “That’s robbery! You cut it by more than five million! I need that money!”
A wicked smile spread across my face.
“I’m cutting the price by five million. As for the other hundred and fifty thousand… consider that repayment for the money you tried to frame me for. You owe me that, Henry.”
Henry stared at me, furious but silent. He knew he had no other choice.
Finally, through gritted teeth, he agreed.
As he was leaving the room, stumbling out like a ghost, I leaned back in my chair and called out to him casually. Wait, Henry.”
I looked at him and dropped the final bomb.
“By the way, your precious Lucy? She was a mole for the Russians. The deal with the Colombians fell apart because she made it fall apart.”
