Chapter 6 - The Bloodline Nobody Was Supposed To Know
The truth came apart slowly.
Not because Nicholas was hiding it.
Because some truths were too ugly to say all at once.
Years ago, Nicholas had fallen in love with Anna Bennett.
She had worked at the Bellweather.
She knew him before he became the man the newspapers feared.
Before the scars.
Before the empire.
Before people called him a monster.
His father discovered the relationship.
Marco Duca believed love was weakness.
When Anna became pregnant, Marco ordered Nicholas to end it.
Nicholas refused.
He planned to leave Chicago with Anna.
Then someone betrayed them.
Anna disappeared.
Nicholas was told she had lost the baby.
He believed it.
Years later, he learned she had survived.
And that Clare existed.
But by then, the organization had become too dangerous.
Anna changed Clare's name.
She created a new identity.
She disappeared.
Until she died.
Nicholas had searched for her.
He arrived too late.
Clare listened in silence.
When he finished, she said only:
"You were my father."
"Yes."
The word broke something inside both of them.
Clare walked away.
She didn't want comfort.
She didn't want explanations.
She needed air.
Nicholas followed her to the hotel rooftop.
Snow had begun to fall.
"Don't."
He stopped.
"You don't have to call me anything."
"I don't know what to call you."
"Then don't."
She stared over the city.
"I spent my whole life thinking my father was someone else."
"I know."
"I hated him after he died."
"I know."
"I thought my mother abandoned me."
"She was trying to protect you."
Clare turned.
"Did she love you?"
Nicholas looked at the skyline.
"Every day."
Clare's throat tightened.
"Did you love her?"
"Every day."
She looked away.
A long silence passed.
Then she asked the question that frightened her most.
"Do you love me?"
Nicholas's eyes filled.
"More than you know."
Clare broke down.
He did not touch her until she moved first.
She stepped into his arms.
For the first time, Nicholas held his daughter.
And for the first time in his life, he allowed himself to cry.
They did not know Adrian Gray was watching.
They did not know Gray had already made a deal with the remaining Duca families.
They did not know the ledger contained more than financial crimes.
It contained proof that Clare was the legal heir to several legitimate companies worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
The reason everyone wanted her dead was not simply revenge.
It was inheritance.
The war was about ownership.
And if Clare lived, Gray would lose everything.
The attack came at midnight.
The hotel windows exploded.
Nicholas shoved Clare to the floor.
Gunfire tore through the room.
Kara screamed.
Matteo ran toward her.
"Get the girl out!"
Clare crawled toward the child.
Another explosion shook the floor.
Smoke filled the hallway.
Nicholas fired at the attackers.
Then one bullet hit him.
He staggered.
Clare screamed.
"Nicholas!"
He fell.
She ran to him.
"Go!" he gasped.
"No."
"Clare, go!"
She pressed her hand against the wound.
"I'm not leaving you."
The hotel fire alarms started.
Sprinklers activated.
Water poured from the ceiling.
Chaos consumed the floor.
Clare saw a shadow approaching through the smoke.
Gray.
He pointed a gun at Nicholas.
Clare stood between them.
"Move."
"No."
Gray stared.
"You're protecting him?"
"Yes."
"He's the reason you're in danger."
"No."
Clare looked at Nicholas.
"You're the reason I'm alive."
Gray's expression changed.
"You don't understand what he is."
"Maybe I finally do."
Gray raised the gun.
Clare closed her eyes.
A shot rang out.
But she didn't fall.
Gray did.
Behind him stood Mrs. Chen.
The hotel housekeeper lowered the gun.
Clare stared.
"Nora?"
Mrs. Chen's real name had been Nora Chen.
She had once worked with Anna.
She looked at Clare.
"Your mother told me to protect you."
Nicholas coughed.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because Anna ordered me not to."
She looked at Clare.
"She knew one day you would find him."
"Why send me into his room?"
Nora's expression broke.
"I didn't."
Clare froze.
"Then who did?"
May you like
Nora looked at the floor.
"The person controlling the hotel."
