Chapter 5 - The Kiss That Made Her The Most Dangerous Woman In New York
Judge Thomas Vale had been declared dead six years earlier.
A heart attack.
Private funeral.
No public viewing.
No autopsy.
Dominic understood immediately.
"Fake death."
Daniel nodded.
"Likely."
Clara looked at her mother.
"Where is he?"
Laura shook her head.
"I don't know."
"But you knew him."
"I knew his network."
She gave Clara a small notebook.
"Your father wrote down the names."
Clara opened it.
Pages of names.
Dates.
Locations.
Payments.
At the very back was a symbol.
A black rose.
Dominic stared.
"The Black Rose."
Clara looked up.
"What?"
"An old organization."
"You know it?"
"My father talked about it."
"Who leads it?"
"No one knew."
Laura answered.
"Thomas Vale."
The investigation took weeks.
Clara and Dominic worked side by side.
He discovered that Clara's quiet nature made people underestimate her.
She discovered that Dominic's intimidating presence made doors open.
Together they became a dangerous combination.
She read numbers.
He read people.
She found patterns.
He found motives.
One evening, Clara was working in Dominic's study when he entered.
He was carrying two cups of coffee.
She looked up.
"You remembered."
"Remembered what?"
"How I take it."
"Black."
She smiled.
"That's right."
He set the cup beside her.
"You haven't slept."
"Neither have you."
"I own the house."
"You still need sleep."
He leaned over the desk.
"You're becoming bossy."
"I'm learning from you."
He laughed.
Then his gaze moved to her lips.
The room changed.
Clara felt it.
"So," she whispered, "what?"
"I was thinking."
"That's dangerous."
"Very."
He touched the edge of her chair.
"Do you regret kissing me?"
"No."
"Good."
He kissed her again.
This time there was no hesitation.
The months of fear, tension, and suppressed feelings collapsed into one moment.
Clara's hand rested against his chest.
His heartbeat was fast.
Very fast.
She smiled against his mouth.
"You are nervous."
"I am."
"Dominic Caruso?"
"Human."
She laughed.
He kissed her forehead.
"I don't know what you've done to me."
"Nothing."
"Exactly."
The moment was broken by Daniel entering.
He stopped.
"I can come back."
Dominic stared at him.
"You can."
Daniel looked at Clara.
"Sorry."
Clara's cheeks burned.
Dominic's expression almost became amused.
"What?"
"Judge Vale has been found."
Clara's heart stopped.
"Where?"
"Manhattan."
Dominic stood.
"How?"
"He contacted Samuel."
"Why?"
"Because Samuel wants protection."
"From whom?"
Daniel looked toward Clara.
"Vale is afraid of your father."
Clara frowned.
"My father is dead."
Daniel shook his head.
"That's why he's afraid."
Dominic's face changed.
"What did he say?"
"Daniel Bennett kept a second ledger."
Clara went still.
"Where?"
"No one knows."
Then Samuel arrived.
He looked terrified.
Dominic met him in the basement.
"Where is Vale?"
Samuel swallowed.
"Under an old theater."
"What theater?"
"The Avalon."
Clara frowned.
"That theater burned."
Samuel nodded.
"That's the story."
Dominic brought Clara with him.
The Avalon was abandoned.
A hidden staircase led underground.
They found Vale in a room filled with documents.
He was older than Clara expected.
Thin.
Tired.
Afraid.
He looked at her.
"You look like your mother."
Clara stared.
"You know who I am."
"I've been watching you for years."
Dominic stepped forward.
"Why?"
Vale laughed bitterly.
"Because your father was smarter than all of us."
"He was an accountant."
"No."
Vale shook his head.
"He was the keeper."
"The keeper of what?"
"The Black Ledger."
Clara's breathing slowed.
Vale pointed at her.
"He didn't hide it."
Dominic looked at Clara.
"Where did he put it?"
Vale smiled.
"In you."
She froze.
"What?"
"Your father taught you accounting."
"Yes."
"Not because he wanted you to work with numbers."
Vale stepped closer.
"He trained your memory."
Clara stared.
"What does that mean?"
"He taught you to remember every figure you saw."
She remembered.
Childhood games.
Her father writing numbers on cards.
Her repeating them.
He had called it a game.
She had memorized dozens of account numbers.
Codes.
Dates.
Addresses.
Vale smiled.
"The ledger isn't a book."
Clara whispered, "It's inside my memory."
Dominic looked at her.
Everything suddenly made sense.
Her father had turned his daughter into the only backup copy of the evidence.
Vale stepped closer.
"And now everyone wants you."
Dominic moved between them.
"Nobody gets her."
Vale shook his head.
"You don't understand."
"I understand perfectly."
"They will burn the city to find what she knows."
Dominic's expression was cold.
"Then let them come."
Clara touched his arm.
"Dominic."
He turned.
"I'm not afraid."
He looked at her.
"I am."
She smiled.
"That's why I trust you."
He kissed her.
In front of everyone.
May you like
And for the first time, Clara knew she wasn't just the woman he had noticed at a party.
She was the woman he was willing to fight the entire city to keep alive.
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