The Donna's Trial

I was at the vineyard with my mother-in-law Teresa Moretti to go over the books when a stack of bills hit me square in the face. "How much can a tax audit even make you?" The blonde woman pointed at the scattered cash, her smile dripping with contempt. "Take the money and get lost. Don't ruin my tasting party." I let out a cold laugh. "What's your name? And who gave you the authority to run this vineyard?" "Monica Moretti." Monica picked at her nails, smirking. "The vineyard was a gift from my husband Luca. So naturally, he's the one who authorized it." I turned to look at Teresa. This vineyard—Luca had bought it behind the family's back just a week ago. Luca is Teresa's only son. And my husband of seven years. Chapter 1 The vineyard's reception hall was hosting a wine tasting. Guests in designer gowns and tailored suits clinked glasses, laughing and chatting. Teresa swept her gaze across the room, her expression turning colder by the second. An hour ago, she'd been comforting the widows of several fallen family members. Those women hadn't received their survivor benefits in three months. Luca's excuse was that the family was tight on funds. And yet here he was, buying a vineyard and throwing a lavish party. Teresa fixed her eyes on Monica. "Which account is covering the cost of this event?" Monica narrowed her eyes. "You're interrogating me? Do you even have the authority?" "Of course I do. I want to see the financial statements." I slid the audit notice across the table toward her. It was an official document from the Moretti Family Foundation, bearing both my signature and Teresa's. Monica glanced at the notice. A beat of silence. Then she laughed. "Couldn't keep up the tax auditor act, so now you're Foundation auditors?" Her laugh climbed higher. "Luca is the Don. You think he'd send people to audit himself? You poor, pathetic idiots." I laughed coldly in my head. This investigation was aimed at Luca. He didn't know a thing. We'd wanted to handle it quietly, without raising any alarms. But clearly, Monica wasn't going to play along. I opened my mouth to speak, but Monica beat me to it—she snapped her fingers. Four men in black suits closed in around us. "You two scam artists, trying to pull this on me?" Her voice went shrill with laughter as she pointed at us. "Throw them out." "Try it!" I barked. The guards hesitated for half a second. Monica's voice shot up another octave. "I'll take full responsibility. Move!" I was about to reveal my identity when one of the guards clamped a hand over my mouth. A wine-stained napkin was shoved in after it. Teresa got the same treatment. The hall went quiet. Monica turned to the guests, raising her voice. "Blame the economy. Even scammers are getting desperate these days." A few people chuckled. Others lifted their phones, ready to watch the show. Monica picked up a bill and patted my cheek with it. "What? Not happy with what I gave you earlier?" More sycophantic laughter rippled through the crowd. Teresa struggled violently, trying to throw herself in front of me. Monica made a gesture. "Keep her still." One of the guards shoved Teresa from behind. She lost her footing and slammed her lower back into the corner of a table. Her mouth opened in a scream, but the rag muffled it into nothing—just a raw, choked gasp. I wrenched the napkin free and roared, "Monica, are you out of your mind? Let us go right now, or my lawyer will destroy you!" "Lawyer?" Monica stared at me with something close to pity, like I was brain-dead. "Which lawyer would dare sue the wife of Don Moretti? Get this straight—I'm not the one who follows the rules. I'm the one who makes them." Looking at Monica's smug, untouchable face, my heart sank. Could she really know Luca? "Your husband... is Luca Moretti?" I locked eyes on her. "The Don of the Moretti family?" Monica curled her lip into a dismissive smirk. She grabbed my chin. "You don't get to say his name. You will address him as Don Moretti." Rage burned through every shred of restraint I had left. My eyes went bloodshot as I glared at her. Monica spat right in my face. Then she pulled out her phone. "I'm calling Luca right now. And when I confirm you're frauds—" Her gaze swept over the scattered cash on the floor. "I'll make sure you regret ever walking through that door." My eyes locked on her screen. It was Luca's private number, clear as day. That number was known only to the family's inner circle. Chapter 2 The call connected, and Monica deliberately put it on speaker. During those few seconds of ringing, she waved her left hand at me, flaunting her diamond ring. A deep blue diamond chip was set into the side of the band. On the inner circle, the Moretti family crest was faintly visible. I'd recognize that design even if it turned to ash. When Luca proposed to me, he'd sworn that ring was custom-made by him alone. Only one existed in the world. Now that same design sat on Monica's finger. "Had your fill of staring?" Monica smiled, stroking the ring. "Luca said only I deserve to wear this." I looked at her, and suddenly, so many promises from the past seven years felt like a joke. I clenched my jaw. "You're Luca's wife? You? Do you even know which way the front gate of Moretti Manor faces?" A flash of hatred flickered in Monica's eyes, but she quickly composed herself. "I'm not? Then you are? Does anyone here recognize this Donna?" All eyes turned to me. Then a wave of laughter crashed through the crowd. "This woman's insane. A scammer, and she wants to play Donna Moretti?" "God knows where she dug up that old lady to play along with her. Shameless!" This was Luca's newly acquired vineyard. No one here knew me or Teresa. The chatter was still going strong when the call connected. Monica shot me a defiant look, her voice dripping with sugar. "Baby, two people showed up at the vineyard today asking to audit the books. They say they're from the family foundation." The voice on the other end answered, "That's impossible. I never arranged anything. Probably just some small-timers fishing for cash." Even though I'd braced myself, my fingers went cold. That voice. I knew it too well. This morning, before I left the house, that same voice had told me "I love you." Monica threw me a triumphant glance and cooed, "Baby, can I handle these two myself?" "Of course. The vineyard's yours now, so you're in charge." Luca laughed. "Sweetheart, I'll be there soon. Wait for me. I love you." "I love you too." I love you. Three words that cut straight through my eardrums like a blade. Monica hung up and waved over a server from across the room. The server brought over a bottle of red wine. "You came all this way. The least I can do is give you a proper welcome." Monica took the bottle. "A 1985 Lafite. Trash like you wouldn't touch this in a lifetime." She pulled the cork and signaled the guards with her eyes. They locked me in place. "What are you doing?" I thrashed against them. "I'm warning you—I am the Donna of the Moretti family!" Monica bent over laughing like I'd just told the funniest joke in the world. "You're the Donna? Then what does that make me?" Before I could answer, she raised the bottle above my head and tilted it. Dark red wine poured from the rim, streaming over my hair. It soaked through, running down my cheeks and collar, dripping onto my clothes. The liquid flooded my nose and mouth, sending me into a coughing fit. The guests howled with laughter. Several of them stepped closer, phones out, filming the whole thing. Beside me, Teresa was nearly faint with rage, struggling with everything she had to get to me. The guards pinned her down. Monica leaned in close, grinning with mock sweetness. "Good? One bottle of this costs more than you'd make in years." Blood rushed to my head. The last thread of my restraint snapped. I sucked in the wine streaming down my face and spat it right into Monica's eyes. "Drink it yourself, you mistress bitch! When Luca gets here, I'll have you on your knees begging!" Monica's face went dark. She smashed the bottle against something—I didn't see what. She stared at me for a long moment, then twisted her mouth into something savage. "I wanted to treat you with decency. But you don't appreciate kindness." She stepped closer. "Fine. I'll just have to show you what the Donna of the Moretti family is really capable of." Chapter 3 Watching Monica's face twist into something close to madness, my heart slammed against my ribs. This woman was unhinged. There was no telling what she'd do. I forced myself to stay calm. "Let us go. The cameras are rolling, and every guest here just witnessed what you did. Don't dig yourself a hole you can't climb out of." Monica wiped the wine off her face, her eyes turning venomous. "Begging now? Where did all that fire go?" Teresa was shaking with rage. She finally spat the rag out of her mouth. "Let go of me, you bitch! I'm calling Luca—I want to ask him what the hell he thinks he's doing!" Teresa looked even more furious than I was. She hated betrayal more than anything. When Luca's father had run around with some actress years ago, she'd thrown him out herself. "Those who betray family don't get to stay in the family." That was what she always said. And now, her own son—the one she'd raised—had betrayed me. "You old hag, how dare you talk to me like that!" Monica lunged forward, swinging her hand toward Teresa's face. I don't know where the strength came from. I broke free and threw myself in front of Teresa. Smack! My ears rang. The taste of blood spread fast through my mouth. She went for a second hit. I caught her wrist on instinct. The four guards closed in immediately. I let go, slowly. Monica saw my hesitation and grinned even wider. "What happened to all that fight? Don't want to throw hands anymore?" I swallowed the fury and narrowed my eyes. "Let's end this here. Let us walk out, and I won't pursue this any further." Monica's laughter rang out even louder. "You really think I'm that stupid? You expect me to buy that crap? Take your time, sweetheart. No rush." She smiled coldly and gestured. "Lock the old one in the cellar first. Let her cool off." Two guards grabbed Teresa and dragged her toward the iron door at the back of the hall. Behind that door was a narrow underground passage, leading down to the deep wine cellar. The moment Teresa saw that passage, she froze. "Don't touch me…" Her voice changed. "I'm not going in there! Let go of me… I want out!" She started struggling wildly, her breathing speeding up, her fingers trembling uncontrollably. My heart dropped. Years ago, Teresa had been kidnapped by a rival family and locked inside a tiny shipping crate for two days. Ever since then, she couldn't step into any enclosed space alone. "She has severe claustrophobia!" I lunged forward. "Let her go!" One of the guards grabbed my hair and yanked me back. Monica watched Teresa with amusement. "You two aren't even good at this. Your excuses are laughable." She waved at the guard. "Take her down!" The guard dragged Teresa through the door. "If anything happens to Teresa, you won't be able to handle the consequences!" I locked my eyes on her. "Let her out now!" Monica crossed her arms and tilted her chin up at me. "Let her out?" Her voice turned icy. "Fine. Admit you're a fraud. Admit you're not the Donna. Apologize to me, and I'll think about letting the old woman out." The guests were grinning at me, pointing, whispering. All those stares cut into my skin like knives. I glanced at the cellar door and clenched my fists. Teresa's muffled screams filtered through the crack, fragmented and desperate. I dropped my head. I nearly ground my teeth to dust as I forced the words out, one by one. "I… I'm a fraud…" "What's that? Scammers don't get paid enough to speak up? Say it louder." The guests' laughter slithered through my ears like greasy little snakes, crawling under my skin. "I'M A FRAUD!" "Good. That's the volume we needed. And what else?" My whole body was shaking. "You're the real Donna of the Moretti family. I was too ignorant to recognize you." Monica covered her mouth with a light laugh. "See? If you'd done this from the start, we could have kept things civil." "Enough?" I snapped my head up. "Now let Teresa out. Right now." Monica tapped her chin with her index finger, pretending to think for a long moment. Then she sighed. "I said I'd think about it. I've thought about it. And I've decided she's staying down there." Chapter 4 I stared at Monica, my eyes burning. "Teresa is Luca's mother!" I bit out. "If anything happens to her, when Luca gets here, he will destroy you." She drank in my rage like it was fine wine, smirking with lazy contempt. "You just admitted you're a fraud. Now she's Luca's mother?" Monica crooked her finger at the vineyard manager. "Pull up the basement feed on the main screen." The manager hit a button, and Teresa appeared on the monitor. She was curled up behind the cellar's iron door, clawing at the metal with both hands. Her fingernails were already split. Bloody streaks marked the door where she'd scratched. Monica picked up her glass and took a sip. "Looks perfectly normal to me." The moment the words left her mouth, Teresa lurched upright on the screen. She stumbled and slammed her body into the door. Once. Twice. "Open the door!" I shouted, my voice cracking. "Her phobia will trigger an acute cardiac episode!" Monica flicked her blond hair, watching me like a cat sizing up a mouse. No more time. Teresa could die any second. I didn't think twice. I bit down on the guard's hand. He yelped and let go, and I lunged for the control console. My fingers were one centimeter from the button. Then all four guards tackled me from every direction, slamming me face-down on the floor. My cheek was pressed into the ground, pinned under heavy hands. All I could see was Monica's red high heels walking slowly toward me. The heel lifted, then came down hard on the back of my hand. A scream tore out of me before I could stop it. Monica's voice drifted down from above. "Quite the fighter, aren't you? Looks like you need a lesson." She twisted the heel as she spoke, grinding it in. Needles of pain shot from my hand straight into my chest. I clenched my jaw and swallowed every sound, every drop of blood. I would not show weakness in front of my enemy. After what felt like forever, Monica crouched down and grabbed my chin, forcing my head up. She was holding a stun gun. Blue arcs of electricity crackled between the two prongs at the tip. My body trembled beyond control. Her fingers dug into my cheeks. I could only gasp out fragments. "Let me go… please let Teresa out… please… she'll really die…" Humiliation turned into hot tears streaming down my face. The guests crowded in, forming a circle around us. Someone spoke up hesitantly. "Donna, isn't this a bit much? A little lesson is enough." Another chimed in. "Reasoning with scammers doesn't work. You have to show them who's in charge." Monica's voice went ice-cold. "Anyone who speaks up for a fraud—I'll treat you as an accomplice." The hall fell dead silent. Then she pressed the stun gun against my shoulder, her lips twisting into something evil. Blue light exploded. Electricity ripped through my body. I convulsed, my back arching violently off the floor. My teeth sank into my tongue. Blood trickled from the corner of my mouth. She released the trigger. I collapsed like a rag doll, every breath burning like broken glass. She was about to press down again when the vineyard manager ran over. "The old woman—she passed out… Should we let her out? We don't want a body on our hands…" I turned to the screen. Teresa was clutching her chest, curled up on the ground, completely still. "Please…" I barely recognized my own raspy voice. "Please get Teresa out…" Monica hesitated for a few seconds. Finally, she put the stun gun away. "Enough of this circus. Drag the old woman out. You—" She looked down at me from her full height. "Take her and get out." The guards let me go. I didn't care about the pain tearing through my body. I crawled, scrambled, threw myself at the cellar entrance. The iron door swung open. I gathered Teresa's unconscious body into my arms. She was still breathing—faint, but there. If we got her to the hospital in time, it wasn't too late. My fingers shook as I dialed Luca's number. "Luca, Mom's in trouble. Send a car right now. She needs to go to the hospital." His impatient voice came through the line. "Your mom's been sick for a while. I'm at the docks handling something. Deal with it yourself." "Luca, she's your—" "I said I'm busy. I have to go." The line went dead. The dial tone hammered into me like bullets. I froze. Teresa clutched against my chest, shaking with rage. Then—screeching tires outside the vineyard. Monica's eyes lit up. She gathered her skirt and ran out the door. "Luca—you're finally here!"