Chapter 5 - THE TRAITOR AT THE DINNER TABLEVincent locked down the estate within minutes.
No staff member left.
No visitor entered.
Phones were collected.
Security footage was reviewed.
Clara kept Leo in her bedroom.
She did not tell him why.
They built dinosaurs from cardboard while armed men searched the mansion.
At midnight, Vincent finally entered.
“Anything?”
He shook his head.
“Forty-three people had access to the property today.”
“That many?”
“Staff. Security. Deliveries.”
Clara looked at sleeping Leo.
“I want him out.”
“Where?”
“Somewhere nobody connects to you.”
“That doesn’t exist anymore.”
“So we just wait?”
“No.”
Vincent’s voice changed.
“We make the traitor move.”
The next morning, Clara publicly announced she was taking Leo to Milwaukee for several days.
In reality, Leo remained in a hidden secure wing with Carmine’s wife, Teresa.
Clara left the mansion in a convoy.
Halfway north, they changed vehicles and returned secretly through a service entrance.
Only six people knew.
By evening, Anthony’s men attacked the empty Milwaukee safe house.
Vincent had his list.
Six names.
One betrayed them.
They gathered everyone in the dining room.
Carmine.
Samuel.
Teresa.
Vincent’s driver.
Security captain Mason Pike.
And Vincent’s cousin Dominic.
Clara remained beside Vincent.
He questioned them calmly.
Too calmly.
Nobody confessed.
Then Clara noticed something.
Mason kept checking his watch.
“Why do you keep doing that?”
Everyone looked at her.
Mason frowned.
“Doing what?”
“Checking the time.”
“I have a watch.”
“That wasn’t my question.”
Vincent looked at Clara.
She continued.
“You’ve checked it seven times.”
Mason smiled.
“Nervous habit.”
“No.”
She stared at the expensive steel watch.
“It’s vibrating.”
Mason went still.
Vincent’s men raised weapons.
Mason stepped backward.
“Take it off,” Vincent ordered.
Mason did not.
Carmine moved.
Mason drew a gun.
Clara reacted before thinking.
She grabbed the heavy silver water pitcher and threw it.
It struck Mason’s wrist.
The gun fired into the ceiling.
Vincent tackled him.
Three men restrained Mason.
Carmine removed the watch.
Inside was a communication chip.
Vincent looked down at Mason.
“How long?”
Mason laughed.
“Long enough.”
“For Anthony?”
“For whoever pays.”
Vincent’s face darkened.
“Who photographed Leo?”
“I did.”
Clara stepped forward.
Vincent caught her arm.
“No.”
Mason smiled at her.
“Cute kid.”
Vincent hit him.
One punch.
Mason’s chair toppled.
Clara grabbed Vincent’s sleeve.
“Stop.”
He turned.
For one second, she saw what everyone else saw.
The man they feared.
Then he looked at her hand on his arm.
His anger changed.
He stepped back.
“Take him downstairs.”
Afterward, Clara stood alone in the kitchen.
She was shaking.
Vincent entered.
“You shouldn’t have been there.”
“You asked me to help.”
“I didn’t ask you to throw metal objects at armed men.”
“It worked.”
“That is not the point.”
“What is?”
His voice rose.
“You could have been shot.”
Clara stared.
Vincent almost never raised his voice.
“You’re angry at me?”
“Yes.”
“For stopping him?”
“For making me watch another gun point in your direction.”
Silence.
Clara’s expression softened.
Vincent turned away.
He had said too much.
She walked closer.
“This isn’t just a contract anymore, is it?”
He closed his eyes.
“Clara.”
“Tell me.”
“I don’t know what you want me to say.”
“The truth.”
He laughed without humor.
“The truth is inconvenient.”
“I’ve noticed.”
Vincent faced her.
“The truth is I know what time you wake up because I hear you making coffee before everyone else.”
Clara’s breath caught.
“I know Leo hates peas and pretends he doesn’t because he thinks it makes him immature.”
Her eyes filled.
“I know you check the front lock three times before bed.”
He stepped closer.
“I know you leave half your food whenever he says he’s still hungry even though there is more food in this house than either of you could eat in a year.”
“Vincent.”
“And I know every time you walk out of a room, I look at the door.”
Clara stopped breathing.
“Why?”
His answer was barely audible.
“Because I want you to come back.”
She looked at him.
Everything inside her told her to run.
He was dangerous.
This world was dangerous.
The contract had an expiration date.
But Clara had spent years surviving men who took.
Vincent kept giving her choices.
Even when it cost him.
She touched his face.
He became completely still.
“Clara.”
“Tell me to stop.”
He didn’t.
She kissed him.
Softly.
For one second, Vincent did nothing.
Then his hand moved to her waist.
Careful.
Almost uncertain.
That surprised her more than anything.
This man commanded rooms without effort.
Yet kissing her frightened him.
She pulled back.
Vincent’s forehead touched hers.
“This complicates things.”
“Our lives are already ridiculous.”
A small voice came from the doorway.
“Mom?”
They jumped apart.
Leo stood holding his dinosaur.
Clara’s face turned red.
“What are you doing awake?”
“Teresa snores.”
From the hallway came Teresa’s offended voice.
“I do not!”
Leo looked at Vincent.
“Were you kissing my mom?”
Clara closed her eyes.
Vincent answered.
“Yes.”
Leo thought.
“Are you boyfriend-girlfriend now?”
Vincent looked helplessly at Clara.
She almost laughed.
“It’s complicated.”
Leo shrugged.
“Okay.”
Then he walked away.
Vincent stared after him.
“Children are terrifying.”
“You’ve survived assassination attempts.”
“Those people asked fewer questions.”
The moment should have felt light.
Then Carmine entered.
His face destroyed it.
“We have a problem.”
Vincent looked at him.
“Mason talked.”
“Good.”
“No.”
Carmine placed a photograph on the counter.
Anthony stood beside another man.
A man Clara recognized from television.
Federal prosecutor Daniel Graves.
Clara frowned.
“What does that mean?”
Carmine answered.
“Anthony isn’t only trying to take Vincent’s organization.”
Vincent stared at the photograph.
“He plans to put me in prison first.”
Carmine shook his head.
“Worse.”
He placed a second photograph down.
Daniel Graves shaking Anthony’s hand over a file.
On the cover were two names.
VINCENT CALVETTI.
May you like
CLARA CALVETTI.
“They’re building the case around both of you.”
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