Chapter 3 - The Threat
A week later, the fragile peace Clara had found within the estate walls was brutally tested.
She had insisted on going to a specific local market to buy the authentic spices she needed for a traditional Mexican dinner she was cooking for Vincenzo.
Vincenzo had reluctantly agreed, but only if two of his best men, Leo and Dante, accompanied her in an armored SUV.
The market was crowded and vibrant, momentarily making Clara forget the dark reality of her new life.
She was inspecting a basket of dried chilies when she noticed a black sedan idling suspiciously across the street.
Two men with cold, dead eyes were staring directly at her through the tinted windows.
Before Clara could react, Leo stepped firmly in front of her, his hand slipping inside his jacket to grip his firearm.
"We need to leave, right now," Leo murmured, his voice tight with pure adrenaline.
Dante flanked her other side, essentially shielding her body with their own as they ushered her back toward the SUV.
The black sedan suddenly screeched its tires, speeding toward them in a clear attempt at a drive-by hit.
"Get down!" Dante roared, pushing Clara roughly onto the pavement behind a parked delivery truck.
Gunfire erupted, the deafening cracks echoing through the panicked screams of the market shoppers.
Leo returned fire with terrifying precision, shattering the sedan's windshield and forcing the driver to swerve violently.
The rival car sped off, leaving behind a cloud of smoke and a terrified, trembling Clara.
Dante helped her up, his eyes scanning the chaotic street for any secondary threats.
"Are you hit, Clara?" he asked frantically, checking her for blood.
"I'm fine, just scraped my knees," she gasped, her heart feeling like it was going to explode out of her chest.
They rushed her into the armored SUV and sped back toward the fortified gates of the Rossi estate.
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Clara squeezed her eyes shut, realizing that being under Vincenzo's protection also meant wearing a target on her back.
The Romanos had figured out that the untouchable boss finally had a weakness.
