Chapter 5 #2
“This is what partnership actually looks like.” Papa points to a loan agreement dated fifteen years ago.
“Five million dollars at below-market interest rates to fund the expansion of our shipping operations. This is what enabled us to compete with larger companies and establish our current market position.”
“This is what bought your soul.” I scan the document, noting the terms that seem reasonable until you consider who’s providing the funding. “Five million dollars from a criminal organization, which makes us accomplices to everything they’ve done since.”
“This is what kept us alive when our competitors were being systematically destroyed by market forces we couldn’t control alone.
” Papa pulls out another document, this one a property deed.
“The warehouse complex where we conduct most of our operations was purchased with Belsky financing when traditional banks wouldn’t approve our loan applications. ”
Each document tells the same story. Papa’s business empire is built on Russian money and dependent on Russian protection. Without Belsky support, Lo Duca Enterprises would have collapsed years ago under pressure from larger competitors and regulatory challenges.
“And this…” Papa pulls out the most recent agreement, dated just six months ago. “This is emergency funding to cover the losses from the Charleston port authority contract that went bad. That three million dollars prevented bankruptcy and maintained our workforce.”
I stare at the document, realizing its implications. Papa didn’t just sign the marriage contract ten years ago when I was a child. He’s been renewing and expanding our obligations to the Belsky organization regularly, with each new agreement making escape more impossible.
“You’ve been gambling with my future for years.” The words come out flat and emotionless. “Every time you needed money or protection, you made promises you couldn’t keep without sacrificing more of our independence.”
“I’ve been securing your future by ensuring we have one.” Papa gathers the documents and returns them to the folder. “These arrangements are the reason you grew up in comfort and safety instead of watching our business collapse like so many others.”
“These arrangements are the reason I’m going to spend my life married to someone I despise.” I walk back toward the window, seeking distance from the evidence of Papa’s financial dependence. “These arrangements are the reason my choices don’t matter anymore.”
“Your choices never mattered as much as you believed they did,” he says coldly. “You grew up privileged because I made difficult decisions that protected our family’s interests. Now, it’s your turn to make difficult decisions for the same reasons.”
The casual dismissal of my agency makes my chest burn with anger. “So, my education was pointless? My plans for taking over the business were just fantasies you let me maintain until it was time to trade me away?”
“Your education prepared you to be an effective partner in whatever circumstances you encounter.” Papa returns to his chair and pours himself a drink from the crystal decanter on his desk.
“Your business training will serve you well as Tigran’s wife and eventual partner in managing expanded operations. ”
“I don’t want to be Tigran’s partner in managing criminal operations.” I lean against the window, feeling the cool glass against my forehead. “I want to build something legitimate and ethical that doesn’t require moral compromises or arranged marriages.”
“Then you should have been born into a different family with different circumstances.” Papa takes a slow sip of his brandy. “Since you weren’t, and wishful thinking won’t change the reality of our situation, you’re stuck.”
The finality of his words brings tears to my eyes that I won’t let fall.
There’s no sympathy in his expression and no acknowledgment that he’s asking me to sacrifice my entire future for decisions he made without consulting me.
I’m just another asset to be deployed in service of family interests, no different from the shipping contracts or real estate holdings that generate revenue.
“I know about the failed investments.” The words come out before I can stop them, fueled by anger and desperation. “The real estate deals that went bad, the political contributions that didn’t generate expected returns, and the equipment purchases that left us overextended financially.”
Papa’s glass freezes halfway to his lips. “What are you talking about?”
“I’ve been reviewing our financial records for two years, preparing to take over the business.
” I turn to face him, using his shock as an opportunity to seize control of the conversation.
“I know about the losses you’ve been hiding and the cash flow problems you’ve been managing through increasingly creative accounting. ”
“Those investments were necessary risks taken to position us for long-term growth.” Papa sets down his glass carefully. “They were merely temporary setbacks in service of strategic objectives.”
“Those investments were mistakes that left us vulnerable to pressure from people like Nicky Belsky.” I move away from the window, energized by Papa’s defensive posture. “You weren’t building strategic partnerships. You were covering gambling debts with borrowed money from criminals.”
“Careful, Zita.” Papa’s voice carries a warning that makes me pause. “You’re talking about decisions you don’t fully understand in circumstances you didn’t experience personally.”
“I understand you’ve been using Belsky money to cover your mistakes for years.
” I lean forward, pressing my advantage.
“This marriage isn’t about alliances or family honor.
It’s about ensuring continued access to the financing you need to maintain the illusion that our business is still profitable while you indulge your weaknesses. ”
Papa stands slowly, his movement conveying threat rather than simple irritation.
“You understand nothing about the pressures involved in building and maintaining a successful enterprise. You understand nothing about the sacrifices required to protect the people who depend on us for their livelihoods.”
“I understand you’re willing to sacrifice your daughter to protect your pride and hide your gambling debts.” I meet his threatening posture with one of my own. “You’d rather see me trapped in a loveless marriage than admit you’ve made mistakes that compromised our independence.”
“You’re behaving like a spoiled child who thinks personal preferences matter more than family survival.” Papa’s response is delivered with venom. “I understand you’d rather see our entire organization destroyed than accept responsibilities you don’t find personally fulfilling.”
“I’d rather see us build something honest than maintain something corrupt.” I walk toward the door, ending this conversation before it deteriorates further. “I guess honesty isn’t one of our family values anymore.”
“Honesty is a luxury we can’t afford.” Papa’s final response follows me across the room. “We honor our obligations or watch everything I’ve built disappear when the Belsky organization withdraws its protection and support.”
I pause at the door, hand on the brass handle that represents my last chance to retreat from this confrontation gracefully.
Instead, I turn back to deliver one final blow.
“Mom was right to leave. She saw what you were becoming and chose escape while it was still possible. Maybe I should have followed her example instead of believing your promises about honor and family loyalty.”
Papa’s face goes pale, and for a moment, I see genuine pain flicker across his features before anger replaces it entirely.
“Your mother was a coward who abandoned her responsibilities when circumstances became challenging, including you, her own daughter. Don’t romanticize her selfishness or use it to justify your own. ”
“My mother was brave enough to choose integrity over convenience.” I open the door and step into the hallway. “I guess that’s something she didn’t impart to either of us, apparently.”
I leave him alone with his brandy and his financial documents, climbing the stairs to my bedroom, where the marriage contract still waits on my desk in the folder. The conversation has changed nothing about my legal situation, but it’s clarified something important about my personal one.
Papa isn’t going to save me from this arrangement because he can’t afford to.
Our family’s survival depends on maintaining good relationships with the Belsky organization, and my marriage to Tigran is the price of that maintenance.
No amount of legal research or moral arguments will change that fundamental reality.
Understanding my circumstances doesn’t mean accepting them passively. If I can’t escape this marriage, I can at least ensure Tigran doesn’t get the compliant wife he’s expecting. If I’m going to be trapped in this arrangement, I’m going to make it as difficult as possible for everyone involved.
The wedding is going to happen, but that doesn’t mean I have to make it easy for the man who’s buying me or the father who’s selling me. If they want a Belsky bride, they’re going to get one who fights back every step of the way.