She Made the Don’s Daughter Kneel

As the heir to the Moretti family, I walked into our own bank with $20 million. My father, Don Moretti, had always said every Moretti business had to go legitimate. I didn't want to make a scene, either, so I came without an entourage. I waited in line for half an hour. Just as it was finally my turn, client relationship manager Vanessa cut in front of me with someone else. I told her there was a line. She sneered instead. “My husband, Julian Reed, runs this bank. My VIP clients get priority. If you don't like it, get out.” I froze. Julian was my husband. Since when had he become hers? I called Julian on the spot and asked when he'd given Vanessa that kind of authority. All he said was, “Her client is important. Don't embarrass her in public.” Then he hung up. Vanessa slapped a new number ticket against me. “Get out and take another number.” I tore the ticket in half and headed for Julian's office. I wanted to see for myself. Inside a bank owned by the Moretti Family, who exactly did these people think was in charge? ... Vanessa caught up and grabbed my arm. “Do you not understand plain English?” “That's my husband's office. What do you think you're doing going in there?” “Planning to complain about me? No one here is going to take your complaint.” Her fingers dug in hard. I jerked my arm free. “I don't care what kind of relationship you have with your boss. Not yet.” “But you don't have the right to stop a customer from filing a complaint.” I pushed open the office door. The next second, I stopped cold. Julian wasn't there. But a pair of women's heels sat in his office. A silk scarf was draped over the arm of the sofa. A full set of skincare products stood beside the bathroom door. There was even a black lace bra hanging behind his office chair. This didn't look like an office. It looked like a bedroom the two of them had been sharing for a long time. Vanessa stood behind me and folded her arms. “Seen enough?” “My husband isn't here. Now get the hell out.” The employees outside heard the commotion and started peeking in. “Who is she? How dare she barge into Mr. Reed's office?” “She comes in here asking for service and still acts that arrogant? If she pisses Vanessa off, Vanessa really can get her account shut down.” “Mr. Reed said it himself. In this branch, Vanessa's decision is his decision.” I turned to look at them. “She's a client relationship manager. What authority does she have to throw a customer out?” Several people immediately looked away. But the client Vanessa had cut the line for, Mrs. Diane, laughed out loud. “Why pretend you don't understand?” “Vanessa is about to become Mr. Reed's wife. A man wants to spoil his woman a little, so what if he gives her some authority?” Vanessa nudged her with fake shyness. “Don't say that.” “What if certain women hear Julian has money and status and deliberately come after him?” Diane looked me over again. “Her?” “Julian gave you the newest Porsche 911 Turbo S for your birthday.” “Everything she's wearing put together probably couldn't buy one tire.” A chorus of envious agreement rose around us. My blood turned cold. A few months earlier, Julian had charged $230,000 to the group's executive expense account. He'd told me it was a business vehicle arranged to win over an important client. I'd believed him. I'd even personally explained the unusual expense to my father for him. There had never been any client. He'd used Moretti Family money to buy his mistress a birthday present. Vanessa swept my handbag off the desk and onto the floor. “What are you standing there for?” “Don't waste Ms. Diane's time on her $250,000 transaction. Her time is worth more than yours.” Diane rammed her shoulder into mine and sat down at the counter. “If you don't have money, you should learn how to wait.” I suddenly laughed. I pulled the wire authorization form and appointment confirmation out of my folder. Then I slammed them down on the counter. “I'm transferring in $20 million.” I watched both their faces freeze. “Now tell me.” “Does her $250,000 still come before me?”

The entire lobby went silent for a few seconds. The money came from the sale of a historic townhouse in Manhattan. The property had belonged to the family trust. My father had transferred my share to me. He told me to buy a seaside estate, or do anything else that made me happy. I refused. I'd wanted to move the money into the bank Julian managed and prop up his worst-performing year yet. Now I'd changed my mind. After a brief silence, Diane was the first to laugh. “Twenty million dollars?” “Do you even know how much money that is?” The others laughed with her. “If she really had $20 million, she'd sit in the regular customer area for half an hour?” “The private banking team would've been lined up waiting for her.” “Did she print those papers herself?” Just then, Emily Carter hurried over from behind the counter. She looked uneasy. “Vanessa, there really is a scheduled transfer of $20 million in trust assets in the system today.” “The client's last name is Moretti. Her first name is—” “Enough!” Vanessa cut her off sharply. “Moretti isn't exactly a rare last name.” “How could a woman like this possibly be that client?” She pointed at the computer. “Pull up the appointment record. I want to see who she really is.” Emily went even paler. “But the client's privacy permissions—” “I told you to look it up!” “If anything happens, my husband will take responsibility.” Emily bit her lip and had no choice but to turn away. I didn't want to waste another second there. I bent down to pick up my handbag. Once my mother arrived, I would take her and leave. As for Julian, I would go home and settle this with him. But just as my hand reached the strap, Vanessa kicked the edge of the bag. It flipped over. My phone, lipstick, card holder, and keys scattered across the floor. “Trying to leave the second you hear we're going to verify your identity?” She sneered. “If that isn't a guilty conscience, what is?” I straightened. “Is this how you treat customers?” “The lobby cameras will record everything you're doing.” “The system will also log the fact that you pressured an employee to make an unauthorized search.” “That alone is enough for Compliance to suspend you pending an investigation.” “Suspend me?” She looked like she'd heard a joke. “Julian is in charge here.” “And I'm the woman he's about to marry.” “Who would dare investigate me?” She jabbed a finger at my shoulder. “I think those documents of yours are fake.” “You're only trying to run now because you don't want to be exposed in front of everyone.” Then her gaze dropped to the floor. She bent down and picked something up. It was the charm on my car key. Black onyx was set into a platinum base, ringed with tiny diamonds. The back bore the understated Moretti Family crest and a unique serial number. Only two existed in the world. Julian had the other one. Vanessa's eyes flew wide. “Why do you have this?” She clenched it in her fist. “This belongs to Julian!” I looked at her. “I commissioned it from a jeweler, and I paid for it. Give it back.” “You commissioned it?” Her face flushed red. “This is obviously the matching piece to Julian's!” “No wonder you've been picking a fight with me this whole time.” “So you're the woman he's been keeping on the side!” With that, she raised her hand and smashed the key charm down onto the marble floor. One of the diamonds flew loose. A thin crack split the black onyx. I stared at that crack. The last bit of warmth inside me disappeared. “There are cameras here.” I spoke each word clearly. “That charm has an insurance appraisal, purchase records, and a unique serial number.” “You just deliberately destroyed my private property.” “I can call the police right now.” “The police?” Diane spat on the floor. “She smashed something Julian gave you.” “If anyone has the right to go after her, it isn't some shameless mistress.” “If you're the other woman, you should know your place.” Vanessa lifted her chin again. “You show up in front of me wearing something my man gave you, trying to rub it in my face.” “You really think I won't put you in your place?” At that moment, the bank doors opened. My mother, Donna Moretti, strode inside. She'd been waiting for me at a restaurant on the corner for lunch. When I didn't show up, she'd come looking for me herself. She saw the things scattered across the floor, then the crowd surrounding me. Finally, her gaze settled on Vanessa. “Who did you just call the other woman?”

Vanessa pointed at me without hesitation. “Who else?” “Her.” “She seduced my husband, then came into the bank flaunting the matching charm he gave her.” My mother stared at her for a moment. “You must be mistaken.” “She couldn't possibly—” “Why couldn't she?” Vanessa suddenly raised her hand. “She just tried to barge into my husband's office!” Her hand came flying straight toward my face. My mother's expression changed and she threw herself in front of me. “Don't touch my daughter!” Smack! The slap landed squarely across my mother's face. Her head snapped to the side. Her body swayed with it. Before I could catch her, she clutched her chest and started gasping for air. “Mom!” Vanessa took a step back. “She jumped in front of me herself.” “That has nothing to do with me.” She watched my mother's face turn paler and paler. Instead of fear, disgust crossed her face. “So you're in on this together.” “I'm warning you, don't try to fake an illness in the bank to extort money.” “One word from my husband, and neither of you will ever be allowed in here again.” The people around us immediately joined in. “We all saw it. She threw herself in the way.” “The daughter breaks up someone else's relationship, then the mother comes in and fakes being sick to extort money. That's disgusting.” “Don't lie there and disrupt business.” I couldn't hear them anymore. My mother's lips were turning blue. Cold sweat beaded at her temples and rolled down her face. She had a serious arrhythmia. Any severe shock could kill her. I called 911 immediately and gave them the address and her symptoms. The dispatcher told me to stay on the line and avoid moving the patient if possible. I looked up and saw the public first-aid cabinet and AED on the wall. “Open the emergency cabinet.” I rushed toward it. Vanessa stepped directly into my path. “What are you doing?” “My mother is having trouble breathing. She needs emergency equipment.” “Move!” She glanced at my mother, the corner of her mouth curling up. “No.” “That equipment belongs to the bank. It's only for bank customers.” “You don't even have an account here. What right do you have to touch it?” I could barely believe what I was hearing. “An AED is public emergency equipment.” “It doesn't belong to some VIP client.” “Move. Every second matters right now.” Vanessa put a hand on the cabinet door. “I said no, so the answer is no.” “What if she uses it, dies here anyway, and then you turn around and sue the bank?” “Take her outside if you want to put on a show.” Emily finally couldn't keep quiet anymore. “Vanessa, her lips are already turning blue.” “We've all had basic first-aid training. At the very least, we should get the equipment and follow the 911 dispatcher's instructions.” Another employee said quietly, “The ambulance isn't here yet. We can't just do nothing.” Vanessa whipped around. “Anyone who touches that cabinet can pack up their things and leave today!” “Julian said it himself. My decision is his decision.” The lobby fell silent again. No one dared move. I kept updating the 911 dispatcher while helping my mother sit in a stable position. She could no longer form complete sentences. My free hand started shaking. While the dispatcher coordinated the ambulance, I took pictures of the emergency cabinet and the scene, then sent my location and the photos to the family's encrypted security channel. The message had barely gone through when Vanessa snatched my phone out of my hand. “What did you take pictures of?” “Who gave you permission to photograph the inside of the bank?” She raised her arm and hurled my phone to the floor. The screen shattered instantly. But the photos had already gone through. She couldn't delete them. At that moment, her own phone rang. Julian's name lit up the screen. The anger vanished from her face instantly. When she answered, her voice turned syrupy sweet. “Baby, when are you coming back?” Julian's cautious voice came through the phone. “Nothing's gone wrong at the branch, has it?” “Did Diane finish her transaction?” Vanessa immediately sounded aggrieved. “Everything was fine.” “But some woman refuses to follow the rules and keeps insulting me.” “Come back. She's making me furious.” Julian visibly relaxed on the other end. “Don't bother with people who don't matter.” “When I get back, I'll take you to the Bahamas for a week.” “And I'll buy you that bag you wanted last time.” Diane smiled enviously beside her. “He's already planned a vacation for you. Julian really spoils you.” I looked down at my mother's bloodless face. Then I raised my head. I spoke into Vanessa's phone, one word at a time. “Julian Reed.” “You have ten minutes.” “Get back here. Now.”