Chapter 7 - The Safehouse Sanctuary
Leo brought Clara to a hidden estate on the northern shore of Long Island—a fortress surrounded by high stone walls, security cameras, and men with dead eyes who bowed their heads in absolute respect as Leo walked past.
"You're safe here," Leo said, guiding her into a massive, warm library filled with old leather books and a crackling fireplace. A private doctor was already waiting, immediately setting to work treating the raw, cracked skin on Clara's hands with specialized medical salves.
"Why are you doing this, Mr. Castellano?" Clara asked, wincing slightly as the doctor bandaged her knuckles. "You don't know me. I'm just a cleaning lady who insulted your shoes."
"You didn't insult them, you warned me about the puddle," Leo smiled faintly, sitting across from her with a glass of bourbon. "And I hate the Morettis. Your father was an honest man, Clara. He tried to expose a structure that was rotten from the foundation. In my world, we respect a man who fights for his territory. I'm going to finish his work."
May you like
Clara looked around the grand room, the warmth of the fire finally penetrating the cold, deep-seated fear that had lived in her bones for years. "The files... the corruption logs my father kept. They aren't destroyed. I hid them in the archives of the old city planning department downtown. But the building is locked down under Moretti security."
Leo stood up, a dark, victorious glint in his eyes. "Then we're going downtown."
