Chapter 7 - The Confrontation
Every head in the warehouse snapped toward the side entrance.
Frankie froze, his eyes widening in absolute disbelief as he stared at the woman walking toward him.
"Clara?" Frankie breathed, lowering his gun by an inch. "Well, well, well. Look who decided to crawl out of the woodwork."
Adrian’s head whipped around. His dark eyes flared with an intensity that burned hotter than a furnace as he saw her standing there.
"Claire," Adrian snarled, his voice laced with furious disbelief. "What in God's name are you doing here? I told you to stay at the house!"
"I couldn't let you walk into his trap alone," she said, her voice unwavering as she stopped ten feet away from Frankie and Adrian. She looked straight at Frankie, her chin held high, shedding every ounce of the timid housekeeper she had pretended to be for two years.
"You look older, Frankie," Claire said, her tone dripping with calm contempt. "Still compensating for your inadequacies with guns and stolen goods, I see."
Frankie flushed crimson, rage twisting his features. He pointed his pistol back at her chest, his hands shaking slightly. "You arrogant little bitch! You ruined my life in Vienna, and then you ran away like a coward! Do you have any idea how long I've looked for you?"
"I'm not running anymore," Claire said steadily.
Adrian watched the exchange, his mind working at lightning speed. In less than three seconds, the pieces of the puzzle clicked together: the Vienna reference, the terror in her eyes when she spoke of her past, the ruined voice, and the monster standing across from him.
A cold, terrifying calm settled over Adrian Moretti. The mafia boss who ruled Chicago realized something vital:
This man had broken the one thing in the world Adrian didn't even know he cared about protecting.
"Frankie," Adrian spoke softly, breaking the tension.
Frankie snapped his gaze back to Adrian. "Shut up! I'll put a bullet in her right now—"
"You won't touch her," Adrian interrupted, his voice cutting through the warehouse like a butcher's knife.
"Oh yeah? Watch me!" Frankie screamed, starting to swing his pistol toward Claire.
In that microsecond of movement, Adrian exploded into motion.
Moving with blinding, terrifying speed, Adrian lunged forward, slamming his fist directly into Frankie’s jaw with a sickening crack.
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Frankie stumbled backward, dropping his gun as he crashed onto the concrete floor.
Before Frankie’s enforcers could even raise their weapons, Vince and the other Moretti guards sprang into action, unleashing a barrage of tactical takedowns that left the rival thugs disarmed and pinned to the floor within seconds.
