The Sons I Raised Tried to Replace My Daughter

The year my daughter was born, I buried my identity as the queen of the Italian Mafia, stepped into the legitimate business world, and gave Emily the safe, ordinary childhood I had never been able to have. Along the way, I took in four boys who had nowhere else to go. I raised Jack, Alex, Daniel, and Ryan as my own sons. I gave them my home, my name, my connections, and eventually enough authority to become the four most powerful men inside Carter Group. Senior executives praised them constantly, calling them the future of the company. Even I thought their growing confidence was a good thing. After all, I had planned to give them far more than Carter Group someday. Then my daughter called me from a locked school bathroom. The four sons I had raised were standing outside, defending another girl while Emily cried for help. They told me Emily was spoiled. That she had grown too used to getting everything simply because she was my daughter. That sometimes, she needed to learn that not everything bearing the Carter name automatically belonged to her. At first, I thought they were only trying to teach their sister a lesson. Then I realized they had started making those decisions everywhere. Who deserved the house. Who deserved the opportunities. Who controlled the company. Even the security guards wearing my family name told me they took orders from my sons now. That was when I understood. They thought they had finally outgrown the woman who raised them. I smiled. Because Carter Group was only the life I had built after I gave up my real throne. Chapter 1 “Mom, help me.” “They won’t let me out unless I apologize to Ava.” By the time I reached the school, my daughter had been locked in the bathroom for nearly four hours. Emily was curled up in the corner, her uniform soaked and one sleeve torn from struggling to get free. And the four foster sons I had raised were standing outside, surrounding another girl as though they were the ones protecting the victim. When they saw me, they showed no remorse. If anything, they looked annoyed that I had shown up. Jack stepped in front of the girl. “Mom, Emily insulted Ava first and made her cry.” “If she hasn’t learned how to respect people, then someone needs to teach her.” Daniel’s voice was cold. “We only wanted to scare her a little. She refused to apologize, so we let her stay in there until she was ready to be reasonable.” I stared at their self-righteous faces, fury burning through me. Daniel frowned. “Mom, Emily has been spoiled since she was little. She’s gotten used to treating people however she wants because she knows you’ll always protect her.” “We were right outside. Nothing serious was going to happen to her.” I looked at Emily huddled against the wall. Her whole body was trembling. Four hours of fear had left her face deathly pale, her lips dry, and her fingers so stiff she could barely unclench them. “Nothing serious?” I looked back at Daniel. “Does she have to collapse before you consider it serious?” Jack immediately stepped in front of him. He adjusted his glasses, his voice still calm. “Mom, there’s a reason this happened.” “Ava accidentally spilled her drink on Emily’s shoes. Emily got angry and embarrassed her in front of everyone.” “We’re her brothers. If Emily has gotten too used to using the Carter name to get her way, then we have a responsibility to correct her.” I stared at him. The worst part was that Jack genuinely believed he was doing the right thing. For years, people inside Carter Group had listened when he spoke. Senior executives respected his judgment. Major deals moved because he said they would. Somewhere along the way, that confidence had followed him home. Ava suddenly grabbed the sleeve of his jacket. Her eyes were red as she timidly looked at me. “Ma’am, please don’t blame them. This really is my fault.” “I can’t afford things like Emily can. I understand why she was upset about her shoes.” She lowered her head. “I should have just apologized and stayed out of her way.” Alex immediately put an arm around her shoulders. “Ava, stop.” Then he turned toward me. “Mom, do you hear her?” “Ava is the one trying to let this go.” “It was a pair of shoes. Emily is the one who turned it into something bigger.” Ryan, who had been leaning against the sink and playing with a lighter, finally snapped it shut. “Mom, you can’t blame us for taking Ava’s side this time.” “Emily has spent her whole life knowing she has more than everyone else.” “If nobody ever tells her no, she’ll start believing everything with the Carter name automatically belongs to her.” That sentence made me look at him more carefully. For the first time, I realized this was no longer only about Emily. The four boys I had raised had grown accustomed to deciding who deserved what. They controlled projects. They managed executives. They sat across from board members twice their age and expected to be obeyed. And now they had begun bringing that same authority into my home. I walked past them and went straight to Emily. Tears rolled silently down her cheeks. “Mom.” Her voice was hoarse. I took off my cashmere coat and wrapped it tightly around her. “It’s over.” Jack watched me, his frown deepening. “Mom, protecting Emily every time she does something wrong is only going to ruin her.” He stepped forward. “Emily, get up and apologize to Ava.” “Then this ends here.” My hand moved before he could touch her. Slap! The sharp crack echoed through the bathroom. Jack’s face snapped to the side. His gold-rimmed glasses hit the floor, one lens cracking. Alex’s expression changed immediately. “Mom! What the hell are you doing?” “You hit Jack over this?” Jack raised one hand and stopped him. He turned back toward me, a red handprint spreading across his cheek. “Mom, if hitting me makes you feel better, fine.” “But I’m not changing my mind.” “Emily needs to understand that being your daughter doesn’t mean she gets to treat everyone else however she wants.” Ava shrank closer to Alex. “Alex…” “Your mom is scaring me.” Ryan gave a quiet scoff. “Mom, we really thought you’d be more reasonable than this.” I swept my eyes across the four of them. For ten years, I had watched their confidence grow and thought it was a good thing. Now I was beginning to understand what that confidence had become. “If you truly believe Emily has been using Carter money and the Carter name to bully people, then starting today, none of you will spend another dollar of mine.” Daniel laughed. “Mom.” “You’re still trying to threaten us with credit cards?” “We’re not those kids you brought home ten years ago.” “You know how much of Carter Group we run now.” “Do you really think the board would choose you over all four of us?” “Carter needs us now.” “Not the other way around.” He looked almost amused. “If all four of us walked away tomorrow, are you sure the company could afford it?” I didn't argue. I simply held Emily close and started toward the door. “If you really believe Carter can’t function without you, prove it.” I looked back at them. “Tomorrow. Nine a.m. Headquarters.” “We’ll see exactly who Carter Group answers to now.” I didn't wait for their reactions. I took Emily with me and walked out. Behind me, Ryan’s voice followed us down the hallway. “She’s bluffing.” “Give it three days.” “She’ll be asking us to come back.” Chapter 2 On the drive home, Emily stayed curled up in the corner of the back seat, clutching the edge of my coat. “Mom, I didn’t bully her. Ava asked to borrow the dress I’m supposed to wear to my debutante ball. I said no, so she spilled coffee on my shoes. I only told her to be careful. Then my brothers showed up.” I gently rubbed her back. Ten years ago, I had brought four boys with nowhere else to go into my home and raised them as my own. On their first night with us, Jack stood beside Emily’s crib for a long time. “She’s our little sister now?” “Yes.” Baby Emily wrapped her tiny fingers around his, and Jack smiled. “Then I’ll protect her.” Those words still echoed in my ears. And now, the boys who had once sworn to protect her were the reason she was trembling in my arms. The next morning, I canceled their credit cards and ordered the cars they kept at the main house removed. Less than an hour later, my house manager came to me looking uneasy. “Ma’am, the four young masters moved into the lakeside estate last night. They took Ava with them.” He hesitated before adding, “They also ordered the staff to clear Miss Emily’s music room and turn it into a closet for Ava.” My hand tightened around my coffee cup. The lakeside estate was supposed to be Emily’s eighteenth-birthday gift, and inside that music room was the antique cello her grandmother had left her. “Get the car.” When I arrived, moving crews were already carrying boxes through the open front doors. Ava sat on the sofa in Emily’s silk robe, eating cherries, while Jack calmly reviewed paperwork beside her. He looked up when I entered. “Mom. Still angry?” “Ava needed somewhere quiet to stay. We thought this place made sense.” Ava immediately stood. “Ma’am, I can leave if this is a problem.” Alex stopped her. “This is Carter property,” he said, looking directly at me. “And we’re Carter too.” Several paintings had already disappeared from the walls. Photos of Ava had taken their place. “Where’s the music room?” Jack pointed down the hall. “Ava needed the space.” When I opened the door, Emily’s antique cello had been shoved into a corner beneath a pile of boxes. Two strings were broken, and a deep scratch ran across the wood. “Who did this?” Ryan glanced at it as he came downstairs. “One of the movers probably hit it. It’s old, Mom. We can buy Emily another one.” “That cello belonged to her grandmother.” Ryan only shrugged. Daniel stepped into the room. “Mom, it was an accident. And honestly, Ava needs the space more than Emily does.” I turned to him. “You’re deciding who gets my daughter’s house now?” Daniel didn’t flinch. “We run most of Carter. At some point, you have to accept that we’re allowed to make decisions too.” For a moment, I simply looked at him. That was when I understood. This was never only about Ava. They had started treating everything I gave them as something they now had the right to redistribute. I pulled out my phone and called the estate manager. “Bring security inside. Everything belonging to the four of them goes outside.” Silence.No one moved. I looked toward the doorway. The house manager lowered his eyes. “Ma’am…” Before he could finish, Jack gave a quiet laugh. “Mom, you really haven’t noticed yet?” He stood and buttoned his jacket. “The estate staff, the drivers, security—they all report through Carter now.” His smile was calm. “And Carter answers to us.” The room went very still. chapter 3 Jack’s words had barely fallen when Emily’s phone buzzed. She glanced at the screen, and the color drained from her face. “Mom.” She held the phone out to me. The International Youth Business Competition had just sent an official notice. Emily’s finalist spot had been withdrawn. Ava’s name had replaced hers. For six months, Emily had worked on that proposal almost every night after school. She had earned the spot through the preliminary selection on her own. Now it had been taken from her with one phone call. Emily looked at Jack. “You did this?” Jack didn’t deny it. “Carter sponsors the competition. Since you still refuse to apologize to Ava, we decided she deserved the opportunity instead.” Emily stared at him. “That was mine.” “You’ll have other chances,” Jack said. “Ava won’t.” I looked at the four boys standing inside Emily’s future home, calmly deciding what she was allowed to keep. First the house. Then her room. Now something she had earned for herself. I took out my phone. “Get your coat, Emily.” Jack frowned. “Where are you going?” “To Carter.” I opened the company’s executive group chat and typed one sentence. **Board meeting. Ten a.m. Main conference room. Everyone attends.** For years, a message from me had been enough to fill the screen with replies within seconds. This time, nothing came. I waited thirty seconds, then locked my phone. So that was how things stood. Before leaving, I opened another contact and sent a second message. Then I took Emily to headquarters. When we reached the executive floor, several senior managers were already there. They saw me. They nodded politely. But no one came forward. No one asked why I had called the meeting. No one entered the conference room. Ten minutes later, the elevator doors opened. Jack stepped out with Alex, Daniel, Ryan, and Ava. He gave me a brief glance, then walked straight into the conference room and took the seat at the head of the table. Only then did the executives waiting outside begin filing in after him. I followed them inside without a word. I looked around the table, but no one defended me. One of the directors finally cleared his throat. “Catherine, Jack is right. Carter isn’t your private company anymore, and several shareholders are already uncomfortable with how often company resources have been tied to Emily.” Jack waited until the room quieted before sliding a folder across the table. “There’s one more thing you should know. The Valenti family in Italy has offered Carter a two-billion-dollar partnership, along with access to their European network. Their representatives are supposed to visit tomorrow.” He placed another document on top of the folder. It was a transfer agreement for my remaining two percent of Carter Group. Over the years, I had transferred most of my shares to the four boys and senior management, believing I was preparing them to inherit the company someday. “If the Valentis think this company is still being run around family interests, we could lose the biggest deal Carter has seen in years,” Jack said. “Sign the shares over to us and let the current management run the company without interference.” The directors immediately backed him. “You haven’t handled daily operations in years.” “Jack is already CEO. This would only formalize what’s already happening.” I listened without interrupting. These were people I had hired, promoted, and protected when Carter was still fighting to survive. Now they were calmly explaining why I should surrender the last piece of the company I had built. Jack pushed the pen toward me. “You’ll always be our mother, and no one is taking away what you did for Carter. But the company belongs to the people running it now.” I looked at him. “So you really believe Carter is yours?” Jack met my eyes without hesitation. “Yes.” Before I could answer, the conference-room doors opened. A group of men in black suits entered, led by Lorenzo Valenti. The atmosphere changed instantly. Jack rose from his seat, Daniel and Alex following almost at once. “Mr. Valenti,” Jack said, his voice turning noticeably warmer. “We weren’t expecting anyone from your family until tomorrow. If we’d known you were coming early, we would have prepared a proper reception.” Lorenzo didn’t take the hand Jack offered. He walked straight past him. The smile on Jack’s face slowly disappeared as Lorenzo crossed the room and stopped in front of me. Then, in full view of the board, Lorenzo lowered his head. “Donna Valenti.” The room fell silent. Jack stared at me. Lorenzo straightened, but the respect in his voice didn’t change. “Welcome back.” 前面修改后，后面逻辑相悖的都需要修改 Chapter 4 Lorenzo straightened, but the respect in his voice didn't change. “Welcome back.” The room was dead silent. Jack stared at me, completely frozen. “Donna Valenti?” He repeated the title under his breath, as if trying to understand what he had just heard. I didn't answer. Lorenzo turned toward the board. “I apologize for arriving earlier than scheduled.” His voice was calm, but no one in the room dared interrupt him. “I had planned to meet with Carter's management tomorrow.” “But after reviewing the information my family received, I decided there was no reason to wait.” Jack's expression tightened. “Mr. Valenti, I'm afraid there may be some misunderstanding.” He forced a smile. “I am the CEO of Carter Group. If you have questions about the partnership, I'm the person you should be speaking with.” Lorenzo looked at him. Then he smiled faintly. “I know.” “That is precisely why I came today.” Jack's smile disappeared. Lorenzo turned to me. “Donna, may I?” I gave him a slight nod. He reached into his briefcase and placed a document on the table. “The Valenti family has completed its final review of Carter Group.” “We are prepared to invest two billion dollars and open our European distribution network to Carter.” Jack's eyes lit up. But Lorenzo continued. “On one condition.” He looked around the room. “The person who founded Carter must remain its ultimate decision-maker.” The entire board went silent. Jack's face slowly changed. “That won't be possible.” Lorenzo raised an eyebrow. “Why?” “Because Carter is already being run by the current management team.” Jack tried to steady his voice. “My mother has been away from daily operations for ten years. She transferred most of her shares to us and senior management years ago.” He glanced at the directors. “Carter needs stability, not sudden changes.” One of the directors immediately nodded. “That's right.” “Mr. Valenti, Catherine hasn't been involved in day-to-day management for years.” Lorenzo listened patiently. Then he asked one simple question. “Are you finished?” The director's face stiffened. Lorenzo picked up the document again. “Because the Valenti family isn't investing two billion dollars in a company controlled by people who have mistaken temporary authority for ownership.” Jack's face turned pale. Lorenzo's gaze moved to him. “And certainly not one whose management team uses company resources to settle personal disputes.” Jack's hand tightened around the edge of the table. “You don't understand what happened.” “I understand perfectly.” Lorenzo opened another file. “Emily Carter earned her place in the International Youth Business Competition.” “Her submission was replaced.” “The replacement was connected to Ava.” “And the person who authorized the change used Carter's executive access.” Jack's expression changed completely. Lorenzo closed the file. “My family doesn't partner with companies where the word ‘family’ is used as an excuse for abuse of power.” He turned back to me. “Donna Valenti.” “The offer stands.” “For Carter under your leadership.” “Not theirs.” No one spoke. For the first time since I had walked into that conference room, Jack looked genuinely afraid. He slowly turned toward me. “Mom…” I looked at him calmly. “Now do you understand?” Jack said nothing. I picked up the transfer agreement he had pushed toward me earlier. Then, in front of the entire board, I tore it cleanly in half. “You wanted my last two percent?” I let the pieces fall onto the table. “I'm afraid you'll have to find another way to take it.” I looked around the room. “These past ten years, I've been letting you believe Carter belonged to you.” “But you made one mistake.” I paused. “You forgot who gave you the right to believe that in the first place.” Lorenzo stood quietly beside me. I looked at Jack, Alex, Daniel, and Ryan. “Effective today, Jack, Alex, Daniel, and Ryan are stripped of every position, share, and privilege they hold within Carter.” Their faces went white. “Freeze every Carter family asset under their names.” I turned back to the four of them and spoke each word slowly. “And from this moment on， blacklist them across the entire business world.” Jack collapsed to the floor. His gold-rimmed glasses slipped from his face and shattered against the floor beside him. He stared at me in disbelief. Only then did he finally understand. He hadn’t just lost the Carter family’s protection. He had lost every position, every privilege, and every connection that had allowed him to stand at the top. Without Carter behind him, he was nothing. I took Emily’s hand. “Come on. Let’s go home.” Lorenzo stepped aside without a word, clearing the way for us. No one in the room dared to stop us. And under the fearful, reverent gazes of the board members, Emily and I walked slowly out of the conference room.