Chapter 9 - The Family They Never Expected
Clare became famous without wanting to.
The newspapers called her the hotel maid who exposed Chicago's hidden empire.
Television crews waited outside the Bellweather.
Reporters shouted questions.
"Are you Nicholas Duca's daughter?"
"Did you know about the mafia?"
"Will you inherit the Duca fortune?"
Clare ignored them.
She only cared about one thing.
Kara.
The little girl had started school.
For the first time, she was allowed to live normally.
Nicholas sold most of his criminal assets.
He kept only legitimate businesses.
Hotels.
Restaurants.
Real estate.
He testified against the remaining members of the organization.
Many went to prison.
Others fled.
The old empire disappeared.
But Clare still struggled with the idea of being Nicholas's daughter.
They tried therapy.
They tried family dinners.
They tried awkward conversations.
One evening, Nicholas cooked dinner.
Clare stared at the plate.
"What is that?"
"Steak."
"Why is it burned?"
"Because I was talking."
"To whom?"
"Kara."
The little girl smiled.
"I told him not to touch it."
Clare laughed.
Nicholas smiled.
The room felt almost normal.
Then the doorbell rang.
A package sat outside.
No return address.
Inside was one photograph.
Anna.
Alive.
Recent.
Clare froze.
Nicholas grabbed the photograph.
On the back were five words.
SHE WANTED YOU TO FIND HER.
They searched everything.
The photo had been taken in Vancouver.
Clare wanted to go immediately.
Nicholas refused.
"You could be walking into a trap."
"She might be alive."
"I know."
"Then I'm going."
He stared at her.
Finally, he nodded.
"I'll come with you."
They flew to Canada.
A small house stood near the water.
The door opened.
An older woman stood there.
She looked exactly like Clare remembered.
Her mother.
Clare couldn't move.
Anna whispered:
"Clare."
Clare cried.
Then ran.
They held each other.
Nicholas stayed outside.
Anna looked over Clare's shoulder.
"Nicholas."
He didn't answer.
She walked to him.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then she slapped him.
He accepted it.
"You abandoned us."
"I thought you were dead."
"You should have searched harder."
"I did."
"Not hard enough."
Clare stood behind them.
Her mother finally softened.
"I wanted to come home."
"Why didn't you?"
"Because William had someone watching me."
The truth was revealed.
Anna had survived the first attempt on her life.
She had been forced into hiding.
She had watched Clare from a distance.
She had also secretly contacted Nora.
She had sent the final evidence.
And she had trusted Nicholas to protect Clare when the time came.
Anna looked at her daughter.
"I'm sorry."
Clare cried.
"I don't care anymore."
"You should."
"I only care that you're here."
Mother and daughter embraced again.
Nicholas watched them.
Then Anna said:
"You know what I regret most?"
"What?"
"That Clare grew up thinking she had no family."
Nicholas looked at his daughter.
"She has one now."
Months passed.
The Bellweather reopened.
The damaged floors were repaired.
The old hotel became a new beginning.
Clare kept her job.
She refused the company board at first.
Then she accepted a position overseeing the hotel's employee welfare program.
She wanted to make sure nobody working there ever felt as invisible as she once had.
Nora returned.
Matteo remained Nicholas's business partner.
Kara started calling Clare "Sis."
Nicholas pretended not to like it.
He secretly loved it.
One spring morning, Clare stood in the hotel lobby.
The same lobby where she had once arrived with a cheap suitcase and twenty dollars.
She looked at the elevators.
Forty-two floors.
Room 4227.
Her life had changed because she had entered the wrong room.
Nicholas came beside her.
"Thinking about it?"
"Every day."
"You regret it?"
"No."
He smiled.
"Good."
She leaned into him.
"How's Kara?"
"She wants a pony."
"Of course she does."
"She also wants you to take her shopping."
"That sounds worse."
They laughed.
For the first time, the hotel felt warm.
Safe.
Normal.
Until Nicholas reached into his pocket.
"What?"
He handed her a small envelope.
Clare opened it.
Inside was a key.
Not a hotel key.
A house key.
She looked at him.
"What's this?"
"The house."
"What house?"
"Our house."
Clare stared.
"You bought one?"
"I thought we'd start over."
She smiled through tears.
"Our?"
May you like
Nicholas nodded.
"Ours."
