The Benefactor's Daughter Wants to Be Mrs. Vitale

Chapter 3

On the drive home, I got straight to the point.

"Is there something wrong with the logistics company?"

"Yeah."

Matteo drove with his eyes on the road, the smile he'd worn at dinner long gone.

"I had that company set up on purpose."

I sat up straighter.

"For the Rossis?"

"For them to commit crimes."

I stared at him for two seconds.

Matteo continued.

"I've suspected Enzo for years."

Twenty years ago, Matteo was eight.

His father was still the head of the Vitale family.

Back then, several factions from New York and Sicily were fighting for control.

Someone kidn*pped Matteo.

Three days later, Enzo Rossi suddenly appeared and rescued him from an abandoned winery.

From that day on, the Rossi family became the VItales' benefactors—the family who had saved their heir's life.

There was an old rule in their world: Money could be owed. A life could not.

And so, for twenty years, the Vitale family had protected the Rossis' homes, education, debts, and connections.

"But there's always been one thing I couldn't figure out."

Matteo kept his eyes on the road.

"The police couldn't find me. Neither could the men my father had searching for me. Enzo was nothing more than a minor player. So how the hell did he find me?"

I frowned.

"You found something recently?"

"A month ago, an old man on his deathbed came to me. He used to drive one of the kidnappers around."

My stomach tightened.

"What did he say?"

"Enzo wasn't the man who saved me."

Matteo's voice was eerily calm.

"He was the one who sold my location to the kidnappers."

A chill ran down my spine.

"Then why did he rescue you?"

"Because the kidnappers were only planning to make one deal. But Enzo wanted more."

The light turned red.

Matteo stopped the car.

"So he brought me back. He made my father owe him a life. As long as that debt remained, the Rossi family could stay under the Vitale family's protection forever."

I fell silent.

That was cold.

One k********g to make a fortune.

One fake rescue to buy twenty years of wealth and protection.

"Do you have enough evidence?"

"Not yet."

"So that's why you put Sophia in the logistics company?"

He smiled.

"Enzo owes an underground casino eight million dollars. He's running out of patience. So I gave him an opening that looks like an easy way to steal money, launder it, maybe even smuggle goods. He'll take the bait."

I looked at the man beside me.

"You're seriously ruthless."

"Thanks."

"I wasn't complimenting you."

"I'll take it as one."

He reached over and ruffled my hair.

"But stay out of this."

"Why?"

"This is Vitale family business. The ugly kind. I don't want you anywhere near it."

I leaned back in my seat.

"I'm not so sure about that."

"What does that mean?"

I smiled.

"The developer on that new hotel project for your port logistics company is Grant & Vale."

He finally turned to look at me.

I gave him a little wink.

"Forgot?"

"My last name is Grant."