The Don’s 89-Point Wife Chapter 08
News of Isabella’s suspension spread quickly through every Marchetti villa.
At the media clarification event in Milan, she suddenly appeared.
“Elena Bellandi sent all those emails herself.”
She held up a stack of printouts.
“She’d wanted to leave the Don for a long time, so she deliberately blamed me.”
A reporter held a microphone toward me.
“Signora, what evidence do you have?”
I turned on the screen behind me.
“The first email was sent from the Marchetti family’s private office in Milan.”
The system login records appeared on the screen.
Isabella’s expression stiffened.
“Anyone can enter that office.”
“That’s why I requested handwriting and seal analysis.”
I switched to the next page.
“The seal used on these emails has a small worn mark in the lower-right corner. That mark appeared on Don Marchetti’s private seal three months after Signorina Ricci entered the family’s inner circle.”
“Security footage from that period shows she was the only person who ever took the seal out of the study.”
Isabella turned to Adriano.
“Adriano, you said you’d protect me.”
He sat below the stage, his voice hoarse.
“I’ve protected you too many times.”
“You gave me free access to the study. You were the one who gave me Aurora Line.”
“I gave you authority. I didn’t give you the right to hurt Elena.”
Isabella suddenly laughed.
“You’re making yourself sound innocent now.”
“You agreed to give me the manuscript. You were the one who told her to think of the bigger picture. And the night she lost the baby, you were still with me.”
The room erupted.
Adriano’s face slowly drained of color.
I didn’t look at him.
I played the next recording.
It was a call between Isabella and an editor at the Florence publishing house.
“Remove Elena Bellandi’s name.”
“What if Adriano asks?”
“He won’t. As long as I cry, he’ll always deal with my problems first.”
When the recording ended, Isabella finally panicked.
“It’s fake.”
The doors at the back of the hall opened.
Several people in dark uniforms entered.
“Signorina Ricci, you are suspected of forging a family seal, copyright theft, and selling commercial secrets to an overseas family. Please cooperate with the Interpol investigation.”
She grabbed Adriano’s sleeve.
“Save me. Who do you think I did all this for?”
Adriano peeled her fingers away one by one.
The exact same way he’d peeled mine away six months ago.
“For yourself.”
“And you?”
Isabella cried.
“If you hadn’t backed me again and again, would I have dared?”
Adriano didn’t answer.
After Isabella was taken away, the event continued.
My mother’s name appeared again at the center of the screen.
The dedication that had been blacked out on the title page had also been restored.
May Elena always trust her own voice.
Applause filled the hall.
This time, no one said my achievements came from being Signora Marchetti.
After the event, Julian handed me a new contract.
“The International Interpreting Center has approved the Mediterranean branch. You’ll be the chief consultant.”
I took the document.
“Another evaluation?”
“Of course.”
He opened the last page with a serious expression.
“Whether you eat on time and follow your doctor’s orders.”
I couldn’t help laughing.
Adriano stood not far away, watching us.
He waited until Julian left before walking over.
“You used to smile at me like that.”
“Don’t talk about the past.”
“I burned the scoring ledger.”
“Okay.”
“Isabella will be prosecuted. The publisher will compensate you too.”
“I know.”
He seemed surprised by how calm I was.
“Elena, I don’t know what else I can do.”
“Then don’t do anything.”
“I can’t.”
His eyes reddened.
“Every day I go back to that house, there’s nothing there. No food you made. No notes you wrote. No one waiting for me.”
“So what you miss is having someone take care of you.”
“No.”
“Then what?”
He opened his mouth.
It took him a long time to answer.
“You.”
I nodded.
“Too bad you realized it too late.”
An assistant hurried over.
“Don, the family council has called an emergency meeting.”
“The Aurora Line negotiations failed. Several elders are demanding that you step down as Don.”
Adriano looked at me.
I lowered my head and signed my new contract.
I didn’t say a word for him.