The New HR Called Me a Thief

Five years ago, the Gotti family, who were on the verge of bankruptcy, managed to rise from the ashes thanks to my investment. Eventually, they develop their company into a firearms company that's well-known in the west, and they earn over hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of profits annually.

At the celebratory party, Elena Bellini, the HR manager who has only joined the company for less than a month, shows my photo and my salary. She then berates me for skipping out on work and stealing from the company.

"Half a year ago, Valentina went missing for more than a month for no reason! Even when she's needed for work at the company, she's nowhere to be found!

"Also, how can a bottom feeder like her afford to spend money at the high-end restaurants and malls?"

Elena keeps her head raised high as she looks at me in disdain.

"The reason why Valentina has disappeared is so that she can steal expensive items from the company and sell them to other clients! This photo of her stealing a bottle of red wine is the proof!

"I strongly suggest that Valentina is to be dismissed on the spot! We can't let her continue breaking the company's rules!"

I remain silent as I turn to look at Matteo Gotti, the CEO of the company.

He knows that a bunch of robbers had stolen a batch of important products half a year ago. I was the one who had snatched everything back without a weapon under my arsenal, seeing as I had walked past the warehouse by coincidence at that time. Because of that, I ended up getting injured and had to spend a month just to recuperate.

Matteo also knows that I've taken the red wine just to entertain the other mafia leaders, who happen to be the company's clients. That red wine isn't for my own consumption at all.

But he has the nerve to chuck the folder away angrily before glaring at me coldly, as though I truly am a criminal.

"Valentina Caruso, is Elena speaking the truth? You'd better explain yourself right now!"

I just sneer at him in return.

"I have nothing to say."

The frightening reality and the outcome, which is obviously a failure, is the best explanation I've given them.

"You have nothing to say because you know you're a thief! Mr. Gotti, you should fire this janitor right now. You need to take inventory and make her pay for our losses!"

Elena Bellini's shrill voice sliced through the room.

Janitor?

Five years ago, I stepped down as Donna of the Caruso family and retreated behind the scenes as its quiet backer, returning to my hometown.

By chance, I discovered that the Gotti family had bought Madre's former residence for their arms business. The wisteria she planted before she died was still there, and so was the piano she used to play.

My Underboss, Raffaele Messina, suggested that I take over the nearly bankrupt Gotti family.

But when I saw how well they had kept the wisteria alive, I remembered something Madre once told me.

She said that when facing those who were much weaker than oneself, one must remember to be merciful.

So, instead of taking over the Gotti family, I chose to invest in them.

The condition of the exchange was that I stay in the house, tend to the wisteria, and wipe down the piano.

The Gotti family immediately accepted the strange request. They even gave shares to a young, mysterious outsider like me.

Thinking of this, I looked at Matteo Gotti, an icy smile curling at the edges of my lips.

When his Padre thanked me for saving the Gotti family before he died, Matteo had been standing right beside him.

I never expected my mercy to come back to me five years later as an interrogation.

"All she does every day is water flowers, wipe down a piano, and buy basic supplies. She does nothing useful. Gotti Group doesn't need dead weight like her!

"Oh, wait. She doesn't even count as an employee! She's a cheap janitor. The bottle of wine she stole might be worth more than she is. We shouldn't keep a liability like that around."

Elena kept throwing accusations at me in that piercing voice, while I quietly scanned the members of the Gotti family present.

When a petty thief pulled a knife on us while stealing cargo, I was the one who stepped in and used my own body to protect both Rocco and the goods.

When Antonio's son fell gravely ill, I was the one who lent him 50,000 dollars.

Every one of them had accepted my help in one way or another.

Now, they all lowered their heads in silence and fidgeted with their fingers. A few of them even nodded from time to time, echoing Elena's accusations against me.

I let out a cold laugh and turned my gaze back to Matteo. "So, Matteo, do you agree with Elena?"

Matteo cleared his throat, putting on the airs of a Donna. "Valentina, I know you've been with us for a long time, and I know you've gotten along well with everyone. But relationships are relationships, and rules are rules.

"A few bottles of high-end red wine mean nothing to the Gotti family. However, the group is about to go public. If people find out that I, the Donna of the Gotti family, am covering for a janitor, how can I manage my subordinates in the future?"

I saw Elena lift her brows as a triumphant smile lit up her face.

"Take inventory immediately. Valentina will cover every loss. Until then, everything under her care will be handed over to Elena."

Elena nodded at once, her voice bright with excitement.

"Sì, Mr. Gotti. I've already prepared the inventory list, and I also drafted a cleaner, more efficient purchasing plan. Compared to mine, Valentina has been overspending by at least 30% every month on supplies for the family.

"Add that to the expensive wine and high-end coffee beans missing from your office, and the total comes to 350,000 dollars."

As soon as she spoke, everyone was astonished.

"350,000 dollars? That's ridiculous."

"I didn't think Valentina was that greedy. No wonder she always had money for luxury goods and high-end restaurants."

"Thank God Elena caught this. Otherwise, that estraneo would've bled the whole group dry."

Ignoring the whispers, I looked coldly at Elena. "How are you going to prove I used the family's money to buy those supplies?"

Elena froze for a moment, then raised her voice again.

"How else? You're a low-level janitor living off Mr. Gotti's charity. Are we supposed to believe you paid for the family's supplies out of your own pocket? If you ask me, the only reason you never kept records was so you could skim money whenever you wanted!"

I laughed.

From the day I joined them, I had never spent a single cent of Gotti Group's money. I voluntarily bought supplies for everyone because I regarded the members as Famiglia.

As for Elena's so-called purchasing plan, its monthly expenditure couldn't even match the value of a single gift I gave to business partners.

"350,000 dollars?"

Matteo rose from his seat, the lines of his face set in a grim expression as he turned to me in fury. "Valentina, this has gone too far! You have three days to pay it back. If you can't, hand over your shares. Otherwise, you're leaving the group."