Handcuffs clicked.
Powerful men—untouchable just minutes ago—were being led away like criminals.
Because that’s exactly what they were.
I stood frozen, watching everything unfold.
The laughter that had once filled the cathedral was gone.
Replaced by fear.
Exposure.
Truth.
“Clara.”
Gabriel’s voice softened as he turned back to me.
“You deserved justice,” he said quietly. “Not just revenge.”
My throat tightened.
“This… all of this… you planned it?” I asked.
“Yes.”
There was no pride in his voice.
Only certainty.
“I couldn’t just destroy Julian,” he continued. “I had to destroy the system that protected him.”
Tears filled my eyes again—but this time, they weren’t from pain.
They were from something deeper.
Relief.
Because for the first time since my father died…
The world felt fair.
“And my mother?” I asked softly.
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Gabriel’s expression finally warmed again.
“She’s already in surgery,” he said. “The best team in the country.”
My breath caught.
“And the money?”
He shook his head gently.
“Not from me.”
I frowned slightly.
“Then…?”
