Chapter 5 - Awakening
An hour later, Dante slammed the briefcase onto the table in the mansion's private medical bay. Gabriel immediately grabbed the silver vial, checked its chemical seal, and injected the neutralizing compound into Clara’s IV line.
Dante sat beside Clara’s bed, holding her limp, cold hand in his. He had removed his tactical armor and washed the soot from his hands, but the exhaustion was evident in the deep dark circles under his eyes.
"The antidote is entering her bloodstream now," Gabriel said quietly, checking the monitors. "Her heart rate is stabilizing. The swelling in her brain tissue is subsiding rapidly. She should regain consciousness within the hour."
Dante leaned forward, resting his forehead against Clara’s knuckles. "I'm sorry, Clara," he whispered into the quiet room. "I'm so sorry I didn't find you sooner. I'm sorry you had to hide in the dark."
Minutes turned into agonizing eternity. The rhythmic beep of the heart monitor was the only sound in the room.
Then, a faint twitch echoed through Clara’s fingers.
Dante lifted his head instantly. Clara’s eyelashes fluttered. She let out a soft, raspy gasp as her eyes slowly opened, trying to focus on the dim light of the room.
"Clara?" Dante called out softly, his voice cracking with emotion he hadn't shown in years.
Her eyes drifted toward him, blurring before finally sharpening on his face. Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes.
"Dante...?" she whispered, her voice barely audible through her dry throat.
"I'm here. You're safe," Dante said, kissing her hand repeatedly. "You're in my house. No one can ever hurt you again."
Clara’s expression suddenly shifted to pure panic. She tried to sit up, her hand clutching his arm desperately. "Lily... where is Lily?! She was in the room... someone gave me tea..."
"Lily is safe," Dante assured her gently, pressing her shoulder back down onto the pillow. "She’s upstairs in my bed, sound asleep. She’s the one who saved you, Clara. She walked across the entire mansion in her bare feet at midnight to find me."
Clara burst into soft, overwhelmed tears, laying her head back against the pillow. "I was so scared, Dante... I tried to run four years ago because your uncle said he would kill you if I stayed... He threatened to harm the baby..."
"I know," Dante said, brushing her tears away with his thumb. "Silvio is gone. The Falcones are finished. The danger is over, Clara. I promise you."
May you like
She looked into his amber eyes—the same eyes her daughter possessed. "She looks just like you, Dante."
"I know," Dante smiled, a true, warm smile that reached his eyes for the first time in four years. "She’s perfect."
