She Faked Innocence, I Uncovered Her Lie

Chapter 3

Before long, a full month had passed since my return.

During that month, Chloe suffered twenty-three "heart attacks."

Every single one happened with perfect timing—right in front of my brothers.

When she cried, tears fell one drop at a time as she swayed helplessly on the verge of collapse.

"Chloe just wants her sister's love..."

"Chloe doesn't want to fight over the inheritance..."

"Chloe only wants this family to stay together..."

My brothers fell for it every time.

After Father reduced her allowance to fifty dollars a month, they began selling their personal treasures to buy her gifts.

Dante sold the watch his first love had given him.

Enzo sold his entire collection of limited-edition sneakers.

Luca sold a gaming account he had spent three years building, along with every rare item attached to it.

Tommaso even put the mother-of-pearl folding knife from his coming-of-age ceremony up for auction.

Chloe accepted every gift with a sweet smile and heartfelt thanks.

But the microphones in her room captured a very different script.

【These idiots are so easy to manipulate.】

【Once I've squeezed every last dollar of their private stash, the first thing I'll do is have that little bastard stripped of her place in the famiglia.】

【Every dock and every shipping route under the Conti name will belong to me.】

I encrypted the recordings and sent them to Vittorio.

"Store them carefully."

"When the right moment comes, we'll detonate everything at once."

"You're not planning to tell Don first?" he asked.

"Father would handle it behind closed doors."

I stirred my coffee.

"I want an audience."

Today was my twenty-first birthday.

The Conti family had rented the Crystal Room at La Fortuna Hotel.

The city's elite.

Wall Street money.

Dons and Capos from every major family.

Everyone who mattered was there.

I sat at the head table in a custom dark crimson gown.

By Father's order, all ten of my brothers stood behind me as my "bodyguards."

Chloe wore a white dress and a crystal tiara gifted by Dante.

She looked like a delicate white flower cultivated under glass.

Halfway through the celebration, the ballroom doors swung open.

Two silver-haired elders entered with lawyers and bodyguards in tow.

The former Don of the Conti family, Salvatore Conti.

And his wife, Donna Isabella.

My grandfather.

My grandmother.

"Have you all lost your minds?!"

Grandfather slammed his cane against the marble floor.

His hawk-like gaze locked onto me.

"Some nobody with a questionable background thinks she can sit at the head of the Conti family?"

Grandmother walked straight to Chloe and wrapped her in a fierce embrace.

"My poor baby. You've gotten so thin in just one month!"

Tears instantly welled up in Chloe's eyes as she buried herself in Grandmother's arms.

"Grandma, I've missed you so much..."

【Perfect timing, old woman.】

【Now hurry up and throw that little bastard out. The only heir to the Conti Empire should be me.】

I sipped my wine while watching Grandmother lovingly pat Chloe's back.

Nearby, Father's face had darkened to iron.

"Father. Mother. I have this situation under control."

"Under control?" Grandfather sneered.

"Tomorrow, right here in the Crystal Room, I'll convene a council of famiglia elders."

"The finest people in New York can witness it."

"And we'll publicly announce the true heir of the Conti family."

The look he gave me was pure contempt.

"So the little stray wants to be the Conti Principessa?"

"Then I'll make sure she's stripped bare in front of everyone."

Nestled in Grandmother's embrace, Chloe curled her lips into a triumphant smile.

My ten brothers looked as though they had just been thrown a lifeline.

I set down my wine glass and rose to my feet.

The old fool wanted to play with fire?

Then I'd make sure the flames burned even hotter.

"Fine."

"I'll be there."