I Put a Price on My Don Husband Chapter 04
Vincent froze where he stood. Pride was the very core of who she was.
He opened his mouth to speak, but Leo let out another shrill wail. He instantly pulled his hand free and soothed the boy gently. “Don’t be scared. Daddy’s taking you to the hospital right now.”
He glanced back at Claire and tossed out a cold remark. “Figure things out for yourself.”
He left in a hurry with Natalie and Leo, never glancing back even once.
Claire headed for the hospital alone, fighting through the sharp pain in her body. Her phone vibrated suddenly mid-walk, alerting her to a transfer of five hundred thousand dollars.
Her eyes widened the second she read the transfer note. She abandoned the trip to the hospital at once and rushed back to the front yard of the Long Island Private Estate. The sight before her turned her blood cold and stole her breath.
Lily’s beloved kids’ playground lay crushed to rubble under the bulldozer. The sunflower patch she had planted with her own hands was flattened completely, with torn petals scattered across the dirt in a heartbreaking mess.
“Stop right there!” She screamed and rushed forward, blocking the bulldozer with her body.
The staff spoke in a cold, detached tone. “Ma’am. The Don ordered this area turned into Master Leo’s soccer field within seven days. We won’t go easy on anyone who holds up the work.”
A shudder ran through Claire. She finally understood what the note meant. He intended to erase every trace of Lily, as if their daughter had never existed at all.
She sprinted back into the estate and spotted Lily’s stuffed doll tossed in the trash, its dress covered in grime. Dizziness washed over her, and she grabbed the wall to steady herself.
All of Lily’s old belongings – picture books, building blocks, tiny dresses – were piled by the front entrance like trash, waiting to be hauled away. She stumbled into Lily’s bedroom. The soft pink walls were now sky blue, covered in star stickers. The room felt so foreign she thought she’d walked into the wrong place.
Vincent was giving Natalie and Leo a tour. He smiled warmly when he saw Claire and walked over. “Claire, perfect timing. I need to talk to you about something…”
“It was you.” She cut him off, voice trembling and eyes red with tears as she stared him down. “You got rid of Lily’s things and redid this room, didn’t you?”
Vincent’s smile faded. His face darkened, and his tone turned icy. “I did. Lily’s gone, and the living have to move on. Natalie’s place is under renovation, so she and Leo will be staying here for a while.”
A mocking edge crept into his voice. “Natalie says Leo finds Lily’s belongings unsettling. Since you hurt Leo, this is your way to make amends. It’ll even bring good fortune to you and Lily.”
Claire stayed silent for a long moment. She wiped the tears from her eyes and forced a smile far sadder than crying itself. Her tone was terrifyingly calm. “You’re right. But that small compensation isn’t enough. The price goes up.”
The air turned frigid in an instant. Leo’s playful chatter died away completely.
“Claire! That’s your daughter, not some item to put a price on! Have you lost your mind over money?”
Natalie tugged at Vincent’s sleeve. Her words sounded like a plea, but they only stoked the flames. “Vincent, let it be. This was Lily’s room, so of course Claire is upset. She is still the mistress of this house. If we upset her, Leo and I will have a hard time here…”
Vincent grew irritated before she could finish speaking. He comforted Natalie. “Don’t worry. I’m the one who calls the shots here.”
He turned back to Claire, snatched her phone, typed in a number, and hurled the device back at her face. Disgust dripped from every word. “You just want more cash? This million dollars is your wage to tend to Natalie and Leo. Starting today, you’re nothing more than domestic help. There is no Mrs. Vitelli anymore.”
Claire flinched from the impact. The dull ache from the phone hurt far less than the agony in her heart. She stared at him in disbelief. He wanted her to serve the woman who had torn her family apart.