Chapter 5 - The Woman I Was Supposed to Marry Was Already Fighting for My Family
Luca found Claire three days later.
She was standing outside a lighthouse on the Maine coast.
The wind pulled at her coat.
She heard his footsteps but did not turn around.
“You shouldn't have come.”
“I know.”
Claire closed her eyes.
“Then why are you here?”
“Because you told me not to come after you.”
“Yes.”
“I disobeyed.”
She almost smiled.
“That sounds like you.”
Luca stopped several feet away.
“I know what my family did.”
Claire turned.
“No.”
His voice was quiet.
“I don't know everything.”
“That is different.”
“I know enough.”
Her eyes were red.
“Do you know about my mother?”
“Yes.”
“Do you know she was murdered?”
“I do.”
“Do you know she was trying to expose your father?”
“Yes.”
“Do you know your mother knew?”
“Yes.”
Claire looked away.
“Then how can you stand there?”
“Because I didn't do it.”
“You carry the name.”
“I know.”
“That name destroyed my family.”
“I know.”
She finally looked at him.
“Then why should I stay?”
Luca swallowed.
“I can't give you a reason.”
That surprised her.
“I thought you would.”
“I could tell you I love you.”
“You do.”
“I could tell you I never knew.”
“You didn't.”
“I could ask you to believe I'm different.”
Claire's expression hardened.
“And?”
“I won't ask.”
“Why?”
“Because you asked me for the truth.”
He stepped closer.
“So here is the truth.”
Luca took a breath.
“I failed you.”
Claire's eyes filled.
“Last night at the dinner, I was afraid of my family.”
“I know.”
“I told myself avoiding a confrontation would protect our wedding.”
“You protected your comfort.”
“Yes.”
“That is what hurt.”
“I know.”
He looked at her.
“I should have stood up.”
Claire looked down.
“You should have.”
“I should have defended you.”
“You should have.”
“I didn't.”
She looked back at him.
“But I'm standing here now.”
Silence.
Claire's voice softened.
“That doesn't erase anything.”
“No.”
“It doesn't make me safe.”
“No.”
“It doesn't make your family trustworthy.”
“No.”
She stared at him.
“Then what do you want?”
“I want to help you.”
Claire looked away.
“I don't need rescuing.”
“I know.”
“I can fight.”
“I know.”
“Then why?”
“Because this is my family too.”
Claire looked at him.
“And because if someone hurt you for information connected to my family, I need to stop it.”
For the first time, her expression softened.
She reached into her bag.
The locket.
She opened it.
Inside was a tiny folded piece of paper.
“The ledger's final page is hidden here.”
Luca stared.
“Your mother left it?”
“Yes.”
“And you knew?”
“I suspected.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because I didn't know whether you would choose me or them.”
His face fell.
“You should have told me.”
“I know.”
“You should have trusted me.”
Claire's eyes filled.
“You gave me a reason not to.”
He had no defense.
Then headlights appeared.
Another vehicle had stopped near the road.
Claire froze.
“That isn't yours.”
“No.”
Three men stepped out.
Luca immediately moved in front of her.
“Stay behind me.”
Claire grabbed his arm.
“No.”
“Claire.”
“They're not after me.”
“What?”
“They're after this.”
She held up the locket.
One man shouted.
“Give it to us!”
Luca looked at her.
Claire whispered,
“Now.”
They ran.
The lighthouse keeper opened a side door.
The four of them rushed inside.
The men approached.
One fired a shot into the wooden railing.
Luca pushed Claire down.
The keeper locked the door.
Police sirens sounded in the distance.
The attackers fled.
Minutes later, one was caught.
His name was Adrian Russo.
Vivienne's cousin.
During questioning, he admitted that Vivienne had been trying to expose the Ferraro family.
But the shocking truth was that Vivienne had not been killed because she betrayed them.
She had been killed because she changed sides.
“She wanted out,” Adrian said.
“Out of what?”
“The network.”
“What network?”
Adrian looked at Luca.
“Your father wasn't running it.”
Luca went still.
“Then who was?”
“Your mother.”
Silence.
Claire looked at Luca.
The answer was finally there.
Teresa Ferraro had known.
Not everything.
But enough.
The hidden transactions.
The protected witnesses.
The offshore money.
The cover-ups.
All of it had been controlled through her.
Luca couldn't breathe.
He remembered his mother's calm face.
Her polished voice.
Her insistence on tradition.
She had always claimed she was protecting the family.
May you like
Now he understood.
She was protecting herself.
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