The assassination attempt was the final straw. Victor Vance had breached the Thorne estate. War was no longer a threat; it was a reality.

The next morning, the estate transformed into a fortress. Barricades were erected. Armed guards patrolled the perimeter with asNextlt rifles. Silas was in his element, coordinating the defense network.

Dante pulled Clara into his study. He unlocked a heavy steel safe behind his desk and pulled out a matte-black Glock 19. He placed it on the desk between them.

"I need you to know how to use this," Dante said, his tone dead serious.

Clara looked at the weapon as if it were a venomous snake. "I'm a housekeeper, Dante. I bake cookies. I don't shoot people."

"You are not a housekeeper. You are the woman I love," Dante said, the confession slipping out of him with brutal honesty. He stepped around the desk, boxing her in. "And Victor Vance is coming for everything I love. I need to know you can protect yourself if I fall."

Clara’s breath caught at his words. The woman I love.

She reached out and picked up the gun. "Show me."