Chapter 9 - The Silence of St. Leonard's
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The pews of St. Leonard’s were packed.
Two hundred and thirty guests sat in respectful, terrified silence. The air smelled of expensive perfume, burning wax, and tension. At the front of the church stood Raphael Duca. He looked magnificent, cold, and entirely untouchable.
Clara stood at the very back of the church, near the heavy wooden doors, holding a tray of service programs she was supposed to be handing out. Her uniform felt like a straitjacket.
The organ music swelled. The heavy doors opened, and Vivian Moretti walked down the aisle. She wore a stunning white gown, her father, Judge Moretti, looking proudly at his daughter.
Clara watched the judge. He was smiling. He was smiling at the man he was planning to destroy.
The priest began the ceremony. The Latin words echoed off the vaulted ceilings.
Clara’s heart hammered against her ribs. The dizzying pain was constant now. She knew if she didn't do something, Raphael would be ruined. The little velvet chair in the sewing room would be thrown out. The kind, silent monster who had saved her would be locked in a federal cage.
Cost.
She thought of Noel. If Raphael went down, the estate closed. But if she interrupted a mafia wedding, the consequences could be fatal.
The priest asked for the rings.
Raphael reached into his pocket. He held a massive, flawless diamond ring. He reached out, lifting Vivian’s perfectly manicured hand.
The diamond touched the tip of her finger.
Clara didn't think. She simply acted.
"Don't marry her!"
The scream tore from Clara’s throat, raw and echoing violently through the cavernous church.
The organ music abruptly died. Two hundred and thirty guests froze.
At the front of the church, Vivian gasped, snatching her hand back. Judge Moretti’s face turned purple with outrage.
Three massive men in the front pews immediately stood up, reaching inside their tailored jackets for weapons.
Raphael did not flinch. He did not pull a gun. He simply raised one hand.
Every single bodyguard froze in place.
Raphael set the diamond ring down on the velvet Bible resting on the altar. He stepped down from the dais, walking past his shocked bride, past the corrupt judge, past the most dangerous families in Massachusetts.
He walked the entire length of the long aisle, his footsteps echoing in the absolute silence.
He stopped directly in front of Clara.
"Why?" Raphael asked. His voice was not angry. It was just a question.
May you like
Clara tried to speak. Her throat had completely closed. The sheer terror of what she had just done paralyzed her vocal cords.
Instead, her shaking hand reached into her white apron pocket. She pulled out the old, scratched flip phone and held it out to him.
