Once Cast Off, Now Crowned Novel – I was blessed by the goddess of fortune. As long as I stayed in the office, sleeping through the day, the family business ran unusually smoothly. Money kept pouring in nonstop. Mario, the longtime consigliere, used to treat me like a lucky charm—he was terrified of the idea of me leaving.
He even installed a ten-foot massage bed in my office, just for me to nap on. But today, Mario had been reassigned to manage a few small betting shops in Brooklyn, and a woman strode in. She strode across the room in stilettos, every step sharp and deliberate. Then she grabbed the freshly brewed espresso and dumped it all over my new silk blouse. “Wake up,” she snapped, her voice like nails on a chalkboard. “This isn’t a place to take naps!” I rubbed my eyes, trying to shake off the disbelief. I was exhausted.
I’d been negotiating shipping costs for that batch of Canadian lumber until three in the morning. All I wanted was a proper nap before sealing the deal. I hadn’t even gotten a few minutes of rest. Paul, who handled the shipping routes and was usually kind, leaned over and whispered, “Alina, keep your head down. That’s Boss’s fiancée.” “They’re getting married soon. She doesn’t like young, attractive women drawing Vittorio’s attention.” Got it.
Crystal clear. No more naps for me. Other families would surely welcome me. …… That night, back at my Long Island residence, I sent an encrypted message to my contact in the Corleone Family. A year ago, they’d offered me a million-dollar salary, a small stake in their new Las Vegas casino, and a private estate with its own beach. I’d refused—felt safer sticking with the Rossi Family. Now? Loyalty can go straight to hell. The reply came almost instantly. “Glad you’ve changed your mind.” “Don’s agreed to bump your salary by another half a million.
The family’s consigliere will personally meet you.” “See you in Sicily at the beginning of next month—we’re looking forward to it.” The lucky charm wasn’t joking. I had always been the lucky one. And I brought luck to those around me. Five years ago, the Rossi Family had been just a small-time extortion crew in Brooklyn. After I joined, I streamlined their smuggling routes and established contacts with the dockworkers’ union and shipping companies. The family business started booming. But strangely, whenever I left the office, things fell apart. Shipments got delayed.
Contacts ran into trouble. Mario even had a priest from the Bronx discreetly check on me. The priest muttered in Italian, saying I was walking on pure luck. As long as I stayed in the office, sleeping, deals practically signed themselves, doubling the family’s profits. Mario spoiled me rotten—he even bought me a private plane, just to make it easy for me to come back and sleep. But that couldn’t stop Sophia’s determination. The next day, I left my resignation letter on Sophia’s desk. Mario’s old mahogany desk was now buried under her designer lipsticks and perfumes.
She made me wait outside for half an hour, loudly video-chatting in Italian. My legs were killing me. “Come in,” she finally called. I walked in and placed the letter on the desk. She didn’t acknowledge it, instead appraising me from head to toe. “So you’re Alina Moretti?” Her voice was sharp. “This isn’t a strip club.
What are you wearing? Who are you trying to impress?” I glanced down at my outfit: a standard, conservative pantsuit, buttoned all the way to the top. “Sophia,” I said evenly, “maybe you should get your eyes checked.” Her eyes widened. She snatched a heavy statue off the desk and hurled it at me.