Chapter 41 #2
"She went deeper undercover than anyone had ever gone. She made sure to get on Aldo's radar because she knew he was exactly the type of person who would use someone like her."
I clenched my jaw. "He hired her because of her resources, her skills, and her reputation.
He thought he owned her." A humorless smile crossed my face.
"He was wrong. She spent years gathering information.
She made sure she was caught on cameras at specific moments, leaving behind proof that she was exactly where she said she was.
She knew one day she would need evidence. "
I leaned back. "Her end goal was always to come back to us. To give me the information she found. She wanted to expose the people controlling my life." I paused. "Her words were that she wanted to set me free."
Matteo's eyes narrowed. "You believed her?" The question wasn't accusing, not completely. It was my brother asking if I had let my emotions cloud my judgment. I looked him straight in the eye. "Yes." For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then Matteo slowly relaxed, accepting my answer. "Okay..." he said. "So why did she show up here?" He crossed his arms. "Did you tell her where we were going?"
"No."
The room went quiet again. "I fully intended to leave her there. I was going to let her rot in that cell." A few people looked surprised. "But Clara is many things. Stubborn. Reckless. Annoying."
A few people smiled slightly. "But she is not stupid." I shook my head. "She found a way out. When she showed up, we made an agreement."
"What agreement?" AJ asked.
"That neither of us would tell anyone anything until Aldo was dealt with." I looked around the room. "She was still working for him at the time. She was still feeding me information. She was useful."
"And now?" Gabriel asked.
"Now...Aldo is gone. Her mission is finally over." I leaned back. AJ tilted his head. "So where is she now?"
"Yeah," Gabriel added with a smirk. "I thought she would be here bragging about saving the day."
"I don't know where she is," Adriano said with a small smile. "But I'm pretty sure we are all going to see her soon." He shook his head slightly. "You know Clara. She likes to make grand entrances."
A few people chuckled. "That's why you let her into the house so easily," Leena said, realization flashing across her face. "You knew."
Adriano nodded. "Of course. I'm crazy, not suicidal." That earned a few laughs.
"So that's it then?" Ales asked, looking between everyone. "Clara was the superhero all along?" She shook her head in disbelief. "Didn't see that one coming."
"Yeah," Raf said from his wheelchair with a sigh. "She was creepy, but I guess we should probably thank her."
The room slowly broke into smaller conversations, everyone continuing to ask Adriano questions and trying to piece together everything that had happened.
But my mind stayed on Clara. She spent her entire life fighting for the Mafia. For her family.
She sacrificed everything she had, even her own happiness and future with someone she loved, to protect someone she respected. Someone she believed deserved the chance to be free.
I knew what she did to Giovanni was wrong. There was no excuse for hurting him the way she did.
But the more I thought about it...
The more I realized how alone she must have been.
For years, she had lived this double life. She would disappear for months at a time, but she always knew there was someone waiting for her. She always had backup. She always had a family to return to.
But this mission was different; this time, she was completely alone.
I wonder if she was lonely.
If she ever wanted to come home.
If she was scared.
If she got hurt, who did she go to?
If she needed reassurance, who reminded her that she was doing the right thing?
Did she ever regret starting this mission?
Did she ever want to quit?
What did she have to become to survive it?
My heart ached thinking about it, because no matter how complicated Clara was and no matter how many mistakes she made, she was resilient. She got the job done and made the sacrifices necessary so her family could finally be free, so Adriano could finally be free.
I wondered if she knew how grateful everyone was, if she knew how appreciated she truly was, if she knew that she could come home now, that she didn’t have to hide anymore, that she could finally stop fighting, and that she could finally choose herself.
"Are you listening to me, Mom?" I blinked, pulled out of my thoughts by a small hand poking my arm.
"Huh?" was my brilliant response. I looked down at Dantae, who was staring at me expectantly. "What did you ask me, love?" I asked, taking his hand.
"Daddy said he's gonna play outside with me after he talks to Uncle Gio." He tugged on my arm. "You have to come too."
I looked around the room. Some people were still lounging around, talking and laughing, while others had already disappeared to handle their own things. I forced a small smile and stood up. "Okay, love. Let's go." He immediately grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the backyard.
Because at the end of the day...we all have someone to thank for the freedom we have. Whether we like it or not. Whether we understand their choices or not.
And for us...
That person was Clara.