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The fireworks bloomed overhead, showering white and gold sparks across the dark bay, but Clara’s eyes were locked on Aldo Falconee’s right coat pocket. / Chapter 10 / 10

Chapter 10 - The New EmpireThe gunfire outside echoed across the bay as Adrienne’s loyal enforcers systematically wiped out the invading Falconee strike team in a matter of minutes. The war was over before it truly began; the ambush had been anticipated, prepared for, and ruthlessly crushed.

Inside the east wing suite, the smoke from the gun barrels drifted slowly toward the open balcony doors, where the cool sea breeze finally cleared the air.

Clara stood by the desk, holding a handkerchief against the shallow cut on her neck, watching Matteo’s body being dragged out by the guards.

Adrienne walked over, slipping his pistols back into his holsters. He stopped right in front of her, his dark eyes searching her face with an intensity that felt heavy enough to crush bone.

"You're bleeding," Adrienne said quietly.

"It's just a scratch," Clara replied, her voice steady as she met his gaze without blinking. "Your security protocol needs work, Mr. Marquetti. Traitors seem to have a habit of walking right through your front door."

Adrienne let out a slow breath, a faint, rare smile touching his lips. He reached out, gently taking the handkerchief from her hand and pressing it softly against her neck himself.

"My security protocol just got a permanent upgrade," Adrienne murmured, his gaze holding hers captive. "The old man is dead. The Falconee syndicate is broken. And my mother is retiring to a villa in Sicily effective immediately."

Clara raised an eyebrow. "Is that an order?"

"It's a proposition," Adrienne replied, stepping closer until she could feel the heat radiating from his chest. "You saved my life at the wedding. You uncovered the rat in my house. You have a mind like a steel trap and more courage than every captain I ever trusted combined." He tilted her chin up gently. "I don't need a maid anymore, Clara. I need a partner to run this empire by my side."

Clara looked down at the blood-stained floor where Matteo had fallen, then up into the dark, powerful eyes of the man who ruled the city. She thought of the dirt road she had walked down two weeks ago, thinking her life was over.

Instead, it was just beginning.

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Detective Maria Santos tapped her fingernail against the glossy photograph spread across the metal interrogation table. The overhead fluorescent light hummed, casting a sterile, buzzing shadow over the room.

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"What's the pay like?" Clara asked with a cool, confident smirk.

Adrienne laughed—a deep, resonant sound of absolute victory—and pulled her into his arms. "Everything you want."

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