Sell Me to a Cartel Boss? He Forgot Who Runs This Family

I am the sole heir of the Corsini family, the biggest mafia family in North America. The first Don left behind one ironclad rule: blood comes before everything. But ever since I was a kid, I've fainted at the sight of blood. Even the smell of gun oil makes me sick. So my father chose Arthur Cole, who had once saved my life, to sit at the negotiating table for me. He'd serve as acting Don, one year at a time. Every Christmas Eve, I had to press my signet ring into the wax before he could run the family for another year. In those ten years, I never once interfered in family business. Everyone thought the annual seal was just a formality. Then Arthur fell for Vivian Miller, a senator's daughter. But her family looked down on him for coming from the mob. So I signed over our most profitable shipping company to Vivian as a gift. Only then did the senator give his blessing. Before the wedding, Vivian sweetly told me we'd be real family from then on. But not long after the wedding, she threw an agreement at me. She wanted to marry me off to a Mexican drug lord. "Marrying General Juárez is the only way you can be of any use to this family." I looked at the agreement and laughed. They'd forgotten who really ran this place. Christmas Eve was five days away. This year, I was planning to pick a new Don. Chapter 1 The first snow had fallen in Manhattan. The night before, unknown gunmen had broken into my estate. They broke the legs of two guards and dumped a bucket of pig's blood in the hallway outside my bedroom. The smell of blood made me pass out on the spot. It wasn't until morning that the IV fluids began to help. Before, even the slightest trouble at the estate would have Arthur flying back within two hours to take care of it for me, even if he was in Miami on business. Across the North American underworld, Arthur Cole's name alone made people tremble. But with me, he was always gentle. He used to report to me on every new block he'd taken. I'd eat macarons and stamp the seal without looking. "You're not even going to look? Aren't you worried I'll hide something from you?" "No. You're the only one I trust." When I was 16, my enemies kidnapped me during a power struggle in the family. It was Arthur who got me out. Later, when my father was killed and people came after the businesses in my name, Arthur cleared out every traitor for me. He swore that as long as he was alive, the Corsini family would be mine. He always thought I knew nothing, that I was just a mafia princess under his protection. But in truth, my father had been grooming me as his heir since I was little. I knew the family's assets, rules, and connections inside and out. For ten years, I stayed behind the scenes. When Arthur went after the docks, I paid off customs officials and judges for him through anonymous accounts. When he angered the family council, I stayed up all night calming them down for him. He thought he'd gotten where he was on his own. He had no idea I'd cleared the way for him. Back then, Arthur's loyalty made it all feel worthwhile. But this time, the man guarding me after the attack was Carl, one of Arthur's most trusted men. Carl was adjusting my IV drip. Arthur's voice came through the speakerphone. He sounded gentle, but his concern felt rehearsed. "Helena, are you feeling better? I heard about last night. I've already had the blood in the hallway cleaned up." I rubbed my temples, my voice hoarse. "Arthur, why did you pull the guards from the estate? Those men were obviously after me." He paused, then sighed. "There was trouble at the docks last night, so I pulled some men at the last minute." He sounded like he was coaxing a child who didn't know any better. "It was just a little accident. I've sent Carl over. Let him handle things like this from now on. "I have a family of my own now. I can't spend my whole life looking after you like I used to. Helena, I've sheltered you too much. It's time you learned to stand on your own." Then he hung up. For ten years, he'd handled everything himself. That changed after the assassination attempt six months ago. In that shootout, Arthur took several bullets and almost died. After he pulled through, he lost his nerve. He'd met Vivian, the senator's daughter, in the hospital. After that, he wanted to go legit and enter politics. He was desperate to shed his slum roots and his ties to the mob. And I, the mafia heir, had become his biggest obstacle to entering high society. Carl pulled out my IV and put the bag away. I looked at him. "How long did Arthur tell you to guard me?" "Until Christmas Eve." My gaze dropped to the family tattoo just visible on his wrist. "Did he tell you to protect me or watch me?" "I just follow the family's rules." He stepped back to the door and didn't say another word. Early the next morning. Vivian walked in with two bodyguards. She pulled out a can of disinfectant and sprayed it into the air. Vivian covered her nose and mouth with a handkerchief. "Open the windows. The smell in here is making me sick." I leaned against the headboard and looked at her coldly. "Arthur's not here. Don't waste your energy putting on a show." Vivian gave a scornful laugh. "Helena, did you really think I was nice to you before the wedding because I thought you were worth my time?" Back then, she'd linked arms with me while we picked out jewelry and sweetly called me family. I'd even given her one of my mother's diamond necklaces. "Arthur told me a long time ago that you're adopted. He took you in. And that Christmas Eve ceremony? It's just a game he plays with you because he feels sorry for you. "He's spent ten hard years raising you." So Arthur had told a huge lie to protect his pride. He couldn't admit he was only the acting Don, so he'd painted me as a parasite living off his charity. It was absurd. I looked up at her. "So Arthur lied to you about that?" She snorted. "Lied? Helena, your delusions are getting worse and worse." She tossed a file onto my blanket. It was a psychiatric evaluation and a guardianship petition. According to the report, I had a severe delusional disorder and lacked legal capacity. Vivian's name was listed as my guardian. She'd take full control of everything in my name. At the very bottom was a marriage contract. She was sending me to Mexico. To marry General Juárez, a 62-year-old drug lord. In exchange, he'd give her father ten million dollars for his Senate campaign. "Do you know who dumped that blood in the hallway? I did. It was a warning to show you who really runs this place." Vivian lit a cigarette. "Start packing. In five days, on Christmas Eve, your life as a parasite is over." Chapter 2 Vivian blew smoke in my face. "Juárez has a private sanatorium in Mexico. You think you're some kind of mob boss, don't you? It's the perfect place to treat your delusions." She rested a hand on her stomach. "From now on, only the children I have with Arthur will inherit the Corsini family. "Consider that ten million dollars repayment for what you've cost us over the past ten years." I stared at Juárez's name at the bottom of the agreement. A chill ran through me. In the Corsini family, two crimes are punishable by death. Betraying the family. And dealing with drug traffickers. Arthur had served my father for over ten years. He knew that better than anyone. But now, he'd do anything to clean up his image. I went cold all over. I couldn't tell whether it was the fever or the thought of the man who'd once taken three bullets for me. I tore the agreement to shreds. "Vivian, who do you think you are? "I'm the head of the Corsini family. An outsider like you doesn't get to make decisions for me." Vivian's face darkened, and she stubbed out her cigarette. "The head? You're still dreaming. "Arthur risked his life to give you everything you have now!" Byrne, our longtime butler, burst into my bedroom. He'd been the man my father trusted most. He waved his cane at Vivian. "Ms. Miller, know your place! "Arthur only runs the family in Miss Helena's place. She is the true heir. Someone! Show Ms. Miller out!" But no one outside the door answered. Vivian brushed the scraps of paper off her shoulder. "Save your breath. Everyone here is mine now." Vivian shot her bodyguards a look. One of them pressed a stun gun to Byrne's neck. The old man screamed, convulsed, and collapsed to the floor. "Byrne!" I started to get up, but two male orderlies walked in. They carried a straitjacket and a syringe filled with sedative. "Don't take this personally, Helena. "Hold her down. Make her sign." I couldn't overpower them. But I had Corsini blood in my veins. And I was more ruthless than all of them. The moment an orderly lunged at me, I grabbed his fingers and snapped them. He screamed, and the syringe flew out of his hand. I snatched it up, plunged it into his neck, and pushed the plunger all the way down. The dose was strong enough to knock out a full-grown grizzly bear. The orderly hit the floor hard. There was only one syringe, and gunmen filled the hallway. I jumped out of bed and pulled a knife from the drawer. I pinned Vivian down on the couch and held the knife to her throat. "Don't move." She struggled, and the blade cut her skin. Blood welled up. The sight of it made my vision go dark. The hand holding the knife started to shake. Vivian noticed. "You're afraid of blood. Who do you think you're scaring with that knife?" I pressed the knife a little deeper and whispered in her ear. "You know I faint at the sight of blood. "My hands are shaking. Want to bet I slit your throat before I pass out?" The bodyguards raised their guns but didn't dare move. Only then did Vivian panic. "Back off and put your guns down! Carl, help me!" Carl didn't react at all. My vision was about to go completely black. Then someone kicked the door in. Arthur charged in with his gunmen. He saw the knife at Vivian's throat. Without hesitation, he drew his gun and aimed it at me. "Helena, put the knife down!" Chapter 3 My vision dimmed, and my knife hand wavered. Arthur knocked the knife out of my hand and shoved me to the floor. "Arthur, you're finally here." He pulled Vivian into his arms without even glancing at Byrne, who lay near the door. Vivian huddled in his arms, playing the victim. "I was only trying to help. I brought a doctor to check on her and talked to her about recovering in Mexico, and she tried to kill me!" Arthur looked furious. "Carl, kick the knife away." Carl stepped forward and kicked the knife under the bed. I slumped by the bed and pointed at the agreement on the floor. "Arthur, open your eyes and look at what she brought! "She forged a psychiatric evaluation to have me declared incompetent. She even wants to sell me to a Mexican drug trafficker!" I stared at him as tears filled my eyes. "The family never deals with drug traffickers. Did you forget every rule my father set?" Arthur glanced at the torn papers on the floor. There was no guilt in his eyes, only disappointment. "Helena, stop making a scene. "Six months ago, I spent three days and three nights in the hospital fighting for my life. I'm sick of living like this. Times have changed. Those old rules are outdated." He sounded as if he were doing me a favor. "We need Juárez's money. Marrying him is the only way you can be of any use to this family. "He promised me he'd keep you away from mob violence from now on." He sighed, like he'd made some noble decision. "And what about the assets in my name? The shipping company? Where do you think the tax-exemption approvals come from every year? Do you really think your name alone gets them approved?" Arthur wasn't even listening. He cut me off impatiently. "What do you know about business? Vivian will manage your assets for you." "And Byrne? He saved my father's life three times!" "He's forgotten who's in charge now." Arthur waved a hand. "Take him to the farm upstate. He's not coming back." The bodyguards dragged the unconscious Byrne out. I looked at his smug face and burst out laughing. I laughed until my chest hurt. So ten years of fixing his messes and covering his bad debts behind the scenes had only made him more powerful. In that moment, I lost all trust in him. It took me a long time to pull myself together and look at him again. "What will you tell the family council on Christmas Eve, five days from now?" Vivian, tucked in Arthur's arms, laughed first. Arthur's face went dark. "You really think they care about that ring? That was just a game the old man played to keep you company at Christmas. "For ten years, it's been my gun holding the Corsini family together!" Arthur pointed at me and delivered his ultimatum. "In five days, you'll sign the waiver in front of the family council. Then you'll go to Mexico like a good girl and enjoy yourself. Or I'll drag you there." Arthur kicked the medical kit across the floor and barked an order at Carl. "Give her the sedative. "Until Christmas Eve, watch her every second." Carl lowered his head. "Yes, Don." Carl picked up the syringe. Seeing that, Arthur put his arm around Vivian and left. I sat on the floor and looked at Carl. "You're going to do this to me too?" Carl said nothing. He snapped the syringe in half with one hand and tossed it in the trash. "Keep your head clear, Miss Helena, and wait for Christmas Eve." Carl moved aside. The fire had gone out long ago. I curled up on the cold floor. For all I knew, my most loyal butler might be dead. The man who'd protected me for ten years had handed me over to a drug trafficker himself. My hand shook as I reached into my pocket. My fingers closed around the signet ring my father had slipped onto my thumb with his own hands before he died. The last of my tears dried up. So did my weakness. I clutched the ring tight. "Carl." He didn't move. "How much dirty work have you done for him? You know every secret he's hiding. "Today he'll sell me to a drug lord to clean up his image. Tomorrow he'll decide you're a threat too. "Get me proof that Arthur is working with drug traffickers. "On Christmas Eve, this ring is yours." Carl's eyes stayed on the ring. His fingers twitched, though he didn't seem to notice. He didn't answer me. Chapter 4 For the next few days, I didn't fight or cause a scene. I put on the white dress Vivian sent over and curled up on the couch all day. Vivian came to see me once. She wore a winner's smile. "Two days without food, and you don't even have the strength to yell, huh?" I ignored her. Every day at the same time, Carl brought me a simple meal. Then he'd do a quick sweep of the room. On the fourth day, there was a smuggling manifest under the plate. That was his answer. Then Arthur showed up in person. When he saw me sitting quietly on the couch, he patted my shoulder. "That's more like it. Behave, and you'll live longer." He tossed a transfer agreement at me. "Tonight, hand over the ring and sign this in front of the seven elders. "Juárez will give you one hundred thousand dollars a month to live on. You'll want for nothing in Mexico." I looked up at him. "Fine. I'll bring the ring." Arthur pinched my chin, pleased. "Good girl. Don't embarrass the Cole family." He didn't even call it the Corsini family anymore. There was a suitcase in the corner. Vivian had told me to pack it for Mexico a couple of days earlier. Arthur shoved the suitcase at Carl. "Put her things in the car. Send her off as soon as the Christmas Eve ceremony is over." Arthur spoke as if he were throwing out the trash. ... St. Bartholomew's. Every port and casino boss had arrived, along with the seven elders of the family council. In front of each pew sat a Christmas present. Inside each one was a shipping manifest proving Arthur was working with Mexican drug traffickers. There was also proof that he'd secretly sold off the family's ports. Arthur never would have guessed what I'd done. My suitcase had been full of evidence against him. The seven elders were livid. A few of the bosses already had their hands on their guns. Midnight on the dot. Christmas Eve had arrived. Arthur made a grand entrance with Vivian on his arm. Vivian had the nerve to walk up onto the main stage and sit in the Don's chair. The whole place went dead silent. Arthur mistook everyone's murderous looks for awe. He slapped his sidearm down on the stage and held out his hand to the chief elder. "Let's begin. Starting this year, we're getting rid of the one-year rule. I'll be acting Don for life." The chief elder didn't say a word. I stepped in through the side door. The gold signet ring was on my thumb. Arthur took half a step toward me and held out his hand. "Helena, give it to me." I kept my eyes ahead and didn't stop. I swept past him without sparing him so much as a glance. Arthur's hand hung in midair. He turned, looking furious. "Helena! You just walked right past me!" I stopped in front of Carl, who stood behind him. Our eyes met, and Carl dipped his head. I slid the ring off my thumb and handed it to him. The chief elder stood. "Authority as acting Don has been transferred. Under the old rules, Carl takes over as of today." Dozens of mob bosses rose to their feet and took off their hats in respect. No one looked at Arthur again. Vivian sensed something was wrong and slid off the Don's chair in fright. Arthur lost control. He grabbed his gun from the stage and aimed it at Carl. "Carl, you're nothing but my dog! Give me that ring!" Carl, wearing the ring now, didn't even blink. I looked at Arthur and said calmly, "Do it." Two gunshots. A bullet struck each of Arthur's knees. He screamed and dropped to his knees. Carl stepped forward and pressed his gun to Arthur's forehead. The smell of blood filled the air. I fought down my nausea and stepped around the blood on the floor. I kicked Vivian out of the way. Then I sat down in the Don's chair. Arthur stared at me in disbelief. "That's impossible! I've been running the family for ten years. Why would the family council listen to you?" The chief elder gave a cold laugh and threw a file in Arthur's face. "Idiot! Why do you think customs let your ships through every time? Why do you think the people you crossed let you off? "It was all because Miss Helena was helping you behind the scenes!" I looked down at Arthur, writhing on the floor. "Didn't you always say that every Christmas, you were just playing a game to keep me company? "Well, starting today, Carl can play that game with me instead."