Chapter 5 - The Loyal Protector
"I swear to God, Mr. Moretti, I never poisoned you!" Clara sobbed, burying her face in her hands.
"Dante would ask me every morning if I put the drops in your glass," Clara explained, her voice cracking with raw terror. "I always told him yes. But every night, when I poured your wine in the kitchen, I dumped the poison down the sink. I served you clean wine. I risked Ellie's life every single day by defying him, but I couldn't let him kill you. You were the only person in this house who ever spoke kindly to my daughter."
The silence in the small servant's quarters was absolute, deafening, and incredibly powerful.
Vincent stared down at the weeping, beautiful woman in the black-and-white uniform. She wasn't just a maid. She was a fiercely brave, fiercely loyal protector who had stood between the most powerful man in Chicago and a lethal assassin for ninety days, entirely alone and utterly terrified.
Vincent didn't yell. He didn't demand more proof.
The terrifying, untouchable king of the underworld slowly dropped to one knee right in front of the crying housekeeper. He reached out with his large, calloused hand and gently wiped a tear from her cheek.
"You saved my life, Clara," Vincent whispered, his deep voice filled with profound, overwhelming respect and genuine awe. "You stood in the dark and protected me when my own blood tried to put me in the ground. You never have to apologize in this house ever again."
Clara looked up at him, her hazel eyes widening in sheer disbelief as the suffocating weight of the last three months finally began to lift off her fragile shoulders.
Vincent stood up, his gray eyes turning completely, horrifyingly cold. He picked up the black ledger and the velvet box of poison.
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"Stay here with Ellie," Vincent commanded softly.
👉 Vincent walked back to the dining room, and his arrogant brother was finally about to face the executioner.
