Chapter 6 - The Don's Arrival
The heavy hospital door slowly swung open again.
The two massive enforcers Adrien had stationed outside were gone. In their place stood Don Carlo Valente.
Carlo was Adrien’s stepfather, the seventy-year-old undisputed boss of the Valente family syndicate. He was a man of terrifying old-school power, wearing a perfectly tailored dark suit, leaning heavily on a silver-handled cane. His eyes were completely black, radiating a lethal authority that commanded entire cities.
He didn't just tolerate Clare; he deeply respected her intelligence.
Carlo walked slowly to the edge of the bed and sat down in the leather chair. He looked at the heavy bruising still fading on Clare’s cheekbone.
"My arrogant son told me you tripped on your evening gown," Carlo said, his deep, gravelly voice echoing in the quiet room. "But I have survived in my business for fifty years because I know how to spot a liar. Adrien's eyes shifted when he said it."
Clare swallowed hard, tears of sheer relief welling in her eyes. The most dangerous man in the city was sitting in front of her, and he wasn't on Adrien's side.
"He didn't push me, Carlo," Clare whispered, her voice trembling. "He punched me. Because I found out what he has been doing behind your back."
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Carlo’s grip on his silver-handled cane tightened. The natural micro-expressions on his weathered face shifted from concern into a cold, terrifying rage.
👉 Clare looked directly into the mafia boss's eyes, preparing to hand him the financial weapon that would destroy his son.
