Chapter 4 - The Mafia Boss Walked Into the Theater AloneArthur took Clara to the Marlo Opera House.
Of course he did.
Everything had begun there.
Daniel's death.
The chandelier.
The ledger.
Now Clara.
Arthur sent Adrien one instruction.
Come alone.
Bring everything.
Marco said no.
Adrien ignored him.
“You go alone, you die.”
“Possibly.”
“That's your plan?”
“No.”
Adrien handed Marco a tracker.
“My plan is to make Arthur believe I'm stupid.”
Marco looked at him.
“That shouldn't be difficult tonight.”
Adrien almost smiled.
At midnight, he entered the Marlo.
The ballroom was dark.
One spotlight illuminated the stage.
Clara stood high above it.
On the same rigging platform where her father had died.
A cable was attached to her harness.
Arthur stood beside her.
“Adrien.”
“Let her go.”
“Ledger?”
Adrien held up the bag.
Arthur smiled.
“Throw it onto the stage.”
Adrien did.
Arthur's man retrieved it.
Arthur opened the ledger.
Then laughed.
“Your father thought this could destroy me.”
“No.”
Adrien looked toward Clara.
“Daniel did.”
Arthur's smile disappeared.
Clara's hands were tied.
But Adrien noticed something.
She wasn't frightened.
She was looking at the rigging.
Calculating.
Arthur stepped closer to her.
“Your father stood exactly there.”
Clara said nothing.
“He begged.”
“No, he didn't.”
Arthur frowned.
“Marco told me.”
“He lied.”
Arthur's face changed.
Clara smiled.
“My father jumped because he knew you were too much of a coward to follow him.”
Arthur struck her.
Adrien moved.
Arthur aimed his gun.
“Another step and she falls.”
Adrien stopped.
“That's what you want?”
“I want your family erased.”
“My father is dead.”
“Not enough.”
“So kill me.”
Clara looked down sharply.
“Adrien.”
He looked at her.
Trust me.
She didn't say it.
She didn't need to.
Arthur aimed at Adrien.
Clara moved.
She threw herself backward.
Off the platform.
“CLARA!”
Arthur screamed.
But Clara didn't fall.
The harness caught.
She swung beneath the catwalk.
Her father had taught her.
Always inspect your own line.
She had secretly attached the secondary safety cable while Arthur was talking.
Marco's team stormed the theater.
Gunfire.
Adrien ran up the stairs.
Arthur tried to escape.
Marco blocked him.
Arthur raised his weapon.
Marco could have shot him.
He didn't.
He tackled him.
Federal agents entered seconds later.
Arthur Vale was arrested.
Alive.
Clara hung forty feet above the stage.
Adrien reached her.
He pulled her onto the platform.
For several seconds, he simply held her.
“You jumped.”
“I had a cable.”
“You jumped.”
“I checked it twice.”
“You jumped.”
She touched his face.
“Adrien.”
“What?”
“I'm okay.”
He kissed her.
Harder this time.
Then pulled back.
“Never do that again.”
“No promises.”
“I hate you.”
“No, you don't.”
He stared.
“No.”
He kissed her again.
“I really don't.”
Arthur's arrest opened everything.
The second ledger.
The staged accidents.
Bribery.
Extortion.
Daniel's murder.
Salvatore's blackmail.
Robert Kane was arrested two weeks later attempting to leave the country.
Vincent testified.
Marco testified.
And Adrien did something nobody expected.
He cooperated too.
Fully.
Even when it exposed his father's crimes.
Clara asked him why.
They stood beside Lake Michigan.
“Because secrets built everything my family has.”
He looked at her.
“And secrets killed your father.”
He took her hand.
“I don't want to build anything else on them.”
Clara smiled.
“So what happens now?”
“To the business?”
“To you.”
Adrien looked toward the water.
“I don't know.”
She squeezed his hand.
“For someone like you, that's probably healthy.”
He laughed.
“What happens to you?”
Clara thought about it.
“I quit waitressing.”
“Good.”
“Why good?”
“Because every time you serve wine, I get nervous.”
She laughed.
Then he became serious.
“Clara.”
“Yes?”
“Have dinner with me.”
“We've eaten together.”
“No.”
He looked at her.
“A real date.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“You're asking?”
“Yes.”
“Not ordering?”
“I'm learning.”
She pretended to consider it.
“Friday.”
“Seven?”
“Eight.”
“Why eight?”
“Because you need practice not getting everything you want.”
Adrien smiled.
May you like
“Eight.”
And for the first time since the chandelier fell, they walked away without looking over their shoulders.
