A Don's Debt of a Daughter

"Julian, can't you just spend a little more time with me?"

As Julian Griffin's Consigliere, Bianca Valente always used work as an excuse to insert herself into his life, her voice a sickeningly sweet tone that made my stomach churn.

My gut told me Bianca had her sights set on Julian the moment she first set foot in this manor.

At first, I thought that even if our marriage was just a cold transaction to settle a debt, our daughter, Chloe, would be an anchor between us. We would at least try to maintain a semblance of peace.

But after our five-year-old daughter went missing, I called Julian all night, only to get a cold, repetitive busy signal.

The next day, when Julian finally came home, he reeked of alcohol, a stench layered over the expensive perfume Bianca always wore.

A wave of exhaustion washed over me. I didn't even have the strength to argue with him anymore.

After a moment of silence, I looked up at him. "I want a divorce, Julian."

The Don of the Griffin family, a man accustomed to absolute control, glared at me with bloodshot eyes. He moved like lightning, his hand snapping around my throat and pinning me to the wall as his fingers tightened.

"A divorce? What right do you have to demand a divorce, Scarlett Hayes?"

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1

Fierce wind whipped cold rain against the glass. I sat on the living room sofa, my knuckles white from clenching my fists.

I heard a key turn in the front door. Julian Griffin strode in, reeking of alcohol. Underneath the sour smell of liquor, I caught the cloying scent of Bianca Valente's signature perfume. The combination turned my stomach.

A woman's intuition is a powerful thing. I knew their "professional relationship" had crossed a line the very first time Bianca, his Consigliere, came to our home to "discuss business."

I didn't care at first. After all, my marriage to Julian had been a transaction from the start. I needed his wealth to pay off my family's massive debts, and he needed a respectable wife to solidify his image as Don.

But now, our five-year-old daughter, Chloe, was missing.

"Where's Chloe?" I shot to my feet, my voice trembling uncontrollably.

Julian loosened his tie and growled impatiently, "What about Chloe?"

"Chloe's missing! You never came home. I've been calling you all night!" I lunged forward and grabbed his arm, my nails digging into the fabric of his expensive suit.

He shoved me away. "Stop being so dramatic. She probably just wandered off to play somewhere."

"She wouldn't do that!" My eyes burned, the fear and anger that had been simmering since last night finally boiling over. "I want a divorce, Julian."

Julian lunged, grabbing my neck and slamming me against the wall. I felt his fingers tighten, cutting off my air. "A divorce? How dare you even suggest it, Scarlett!"

I clawed at his hand, desperate for air, tears streaming down my face. He froze for a second, then let go. I stumbled back, clutching my throat and coughing violently as I glared up at him.

Just then, the click-clack of high heels echoed from the foyer. Bianca walked in carrying a file, every step a calculated, seductive sway. She deliberately handed the file to Julian, her fingers brushing the back of his hand. "Don, this needs your urgent signature. I brought it straight over so it wouldn't delay matters."

Julian signed it, then turned to me, his eyes filled with contempt, as if daring me to fly into a jealous rage.

I watched their intimate exchange, my daughter's fate an unknown horror hanging over us. I couldn't stop myself. I grabbed Bianca's wrist. "Where is she? What did you do with my daughter!"

Bianca shrieked and scrambled into Julian's arms. He shoved me so hard I stumbled back into the wall. A dull pain flared in my back, but it was nothing compared to the searing ache in my heart.

"Have you lost your mind, Scarlett?" Julian shielded Bianca, glaring down at me. "And so what if she's missing?"