They Called Me a Freeloader in My Own Empire

Vera Bellini inherited eleven wineries from her father. For twelve years she trusted Camilla to run the business, until Camilla married Luca and put him in charge of the accounts. He changed the locks on her estate, removed her belongings, and offered her a one-bedroom apartment instead of her home. Then they demanded her seventy-percent stake, with her dividends to become an allowance they controlled and the names of the recipients left blank.

At the annual wine dinner, Luca handed her an envelope holding three thousand dollars and told her to learn to budget. At a meeting with the management team, the agreement on the table would redistribute her holding, yet no list of recipients was given. Vera refuses to sign, takes the draft, and asks her lawyer to review their authority over the headquarters building that belongs to her.

Her aunt Elena urges her to consider Camilla's feelings and keep the dispute private, while Luca moves to turn her office into a reception room. Vera stands alone against the people who run her empire.