She Was Left to Freeze on Christmas Night — What the Mafia Boss Did Next Shocked Everyone
Tony put the phone down on the desk on speaker mode. He looked at Lana. «Now, we wait.»
«You’re bluffing,» Lana stammered, though her confidence was cracking. «You called a loan shark. My father hired professionals. Ex-military.»
«Vinnie grew up in the Chicago gutters,» Tony said, pouring himself a drink. «Your professionals fight for a paycheck. Vinnie fights because he enjoys it.»
The minutes ticked by. Ten. Five. Two.
The silence in the room was suffocating. Clara was praying, her eyes closed tight. Lana was sweating, her makeup starting to run.
Suddenly, the phone on the desk buzzed. A call coming in.
Tony answered. «Report.»
The sound that filled the room wasn’t a voice. It was chaos. Loud bangs. Shouting. The heavy thud of impacts.
«Get off my block!» Vinnie’s voice roared through the speaker, followed by the metallic click of a weapon. «This is Moretti territory now!»
More commotion followed, then a sharp cry of pain that definitely didn’t belong to Vinnie. Then silence. Heavy, static-filled silence.
«Vinnie?» Tony asked calmly.
«It’s handled, Boss,» Vinnie panted. «Two guys. SUVs. They… uh… they won’t be bothering Arthur. Or anyone else. Ever again.»
«And Arthur?»
«He’s fine. He’s looking out the window wondering why his lawn is damaged, but he’s safe. I got two of my guys on the porch. Nobody touches him.»
Clara collapsed into the armchair, sobbing with relief. Tony looked at Lana. Her face had gone grey.
«You missed your check-in,» Tony said softly. «And your men are gone. Which means you have no leverage left.»
Lana struggled against the silk tie. «My father will destroy you. He’ll pull the bank funding. He’ll—»
«He’ll do nothing,» Tony interrupted. «Because ten minutes ago, while you were gloating, Marco sent a file to the SEC and the FBI. Every dirty transaction your family’s bank has laundered for the cartels in the last five years. It’s all out, Lana. By tomorrow morning, the Vance Empire will be seized by the federal government. You’re not an heiress anymore. You’re a liability.»
Lana screamed—a primal sound of pure rage and defeat.
Tony walked over to her and untied her hands. She rubbed her wrists, looking up at him with hatred. «I hate you.»
«The feeling is mutual,» Tony said. «Now get out of my house.»
«It’s snowing again,» Lana spat. «Where am I supposed to go?»
Tony walked to the window and looked at the patio—the same spot where he had found Clara freezing to death the night before.
«I really don’t care,» he said. «But if you’re still on my property in five minutes, I’m calling security. And unlike me, they don’t have much patience.»
Lana Vance, the woman who had ruled New York society with an iron fist, grabbed her fur coat and ran. She ran out of the library, out of the foyer, and into the cold dark night, never to be seen in the Moretti estate again.
Three months later, the snow in Aspen had finally melted, revealing the lush green gardens of the Moretti estate. The windows were open, letting in the fresh spring breeze.
Clara sat on the patio reading a book. She wasn’t wearing a uniform. She was wearing a soft yellow sundress that caught the light.
She heard footsteps behind her. Heavy, familiar footsteps.
«The daffodils are coming up,» Tony said, placing two cups of coffee on the table.
Clara smiled, marking her page and looking up at him. «They are. It’s beautiful.»
«It is,» Tony said, but he wasn’t looking at the flowers. He was looking at her.
It had been a long, difficult winter. The fallout from the Vance investigation had been messy. Tony had to restructure his entire business to go legitimate, cutting ties with the darker parts of his past to ensure Clara would never be in danger again. It cost him millions, but he didn’t care.
«I spoke to my dad this morning,» Clara said, taking a sip of the coffee. «He says Vinnie came over for tea. Apparently, they’re watching baseball games together now. It’s… weird.»
Tony chuckled. «Vinnie likes having a purpose. And your father makes good sandwiches.»
He sat down next to her. The tension that used to carry him like a suit of armor was gone. He looked younger, lighter.
«Clara,» he began, his voice turning serious.
«Yes?»
«I’ve been thinking about the contract.»
Clara’s heart skipped a beat. «What contract?»
«The employment contract,» Tony said, reaching into his pocket. «Technically, you never resigned, and I never fired you.»
«Oh,» Clara said, looking down. «Do you… do you want me to start working again? I can. I miss the kitchen sometimes.»
«No,» Tony said. «I’m terminating your employment. Effective immediately.»
Clara felt a cold spike in her chest. «You’re… kicking me out?»
«No,» Tony said gently. He slid off his chair, dropping to one knee on the patio stones.
Clara gasped.
Tony pulled a small velvet box from his pocket. It wasn’t the gaudy, massive rock he had given Lana. It was an elegant vintage ring with a sapphire the color of the deep ocean—or perhaps the color of a stormy sky that had finally cleared.
«I’m firing you as my maid,» Tony said, his eyes shining with an intensity that made the world stop spinning. «Because I want to hire you for a different position. One that’s permanent. No sick days, though.»
Clara laughed through her tears. «What’s the job title?»
«Wife,» Tony whispered. «Partner. Queen. Whatever you want it to be. Just… be mine. Please.»
Clara looked at the man who had pulled her out of the snow. The man who had burned down his own kingdom to save her father. The man who had warmed her when she was frozen.
«Yes,» she whispered. «Yes, Enzo.»
He slid the ring onto her finger. It fit perfectly. Tony stood up and pulled her into his arms. He kissed her, and this time, there was no cold, no fear, no darkness. There was only warmth.
As they kissed, a single late-season snowflake drifted down from the sky, landing on Clara’s cheek. It melted instantly against the heat of her skin—a final reminder that the winter was over, and the spring had finally begun.
