They Gave Me a Monthly Allowance, So I Took Back My Building novel · Chapter 13 of 24

Chapter 13: Line One

Ruggero's mouth opened, and for once nothing came out of it.

He had no smile ready.

"This isn't the place," he said.

"It's exactly the place," said the man in the grey coat. "You told me the vote would settle everything today."

He turned to face the rows of chairs.

"I run a lending fund in San Francisco. Last November Mr. Paoli borrowed three point four million dollars from it."

A murmur went down the aisle.

"For what?" my lawyer asked.

"Two restaurants in Reno and a wine bar in Napa. All three closed within the year."

I looked at Donata.

She was staring at the back of Ruggero's head.

"He put up collateral," the man said. "An option to buy sixty acres of old vines on the Bellandi lower block."

My stomach dropped.

"The Aurelio block," I said.

My father had planted it himself in the spring before I was born. He had walked those rows with me on his shoulders.

"The option is signed by your aunt, as your attorney-in-fact," my lawyer said quietly. "It was filed before you ever sat in that boardroom."

I held the edge of the lectern.

"Mr. Paoli told me line one on his list was my fund," the man said. "Your shares would clear his debt by harvest. Then he stopped returning my calls."

← Chapter 12 · All chapters · Chapter 14 →

Want to keep talking to characters like these? Chat with AI romance characters: AI Boyfriend · AI Girlfriend · Dark Romance · Fantasy Romance · BL (Boys’ Love) · Billionaire Boyfriend · Mafia Boyfriend · Possessive Boyfriend · Hockey Boyfriend · Older Boyfriend · K-Drama Boyfriend · Anime Boyfriend · Vampire Boyfriend · Werewolf Boyfriend · Demon Boyfriend · Fae Romance · GL (Girls’ Love) · Anime Girlfriend · Goth & Alt Girlfriend · Gamer Girlfriend · Tsundere Girlfriend · Fantasy Girlfriend