Armed security personnel guarded the entrance, while cameras monitored every road leading to the property.
Clara had spent most of her childhood there.
But when she stepped out of the limousine, she looked at the mansion with a mixture of happiness and sadness.
Everything seemed familiar.
The fountain where she used to play.
The large windows overlooking the garden.
The staircase where she had once slipped while running downstairs.
She remembered all of it.
Alessandro noticed her expression.
"Welcome home, sweetheart."
Clara looked at him.
"Nothing has changed."
He smiled sadly.
"Some things have."
"What?"
"I have missed you."
She hugged him again.
Inside, the staff hurried to prepare her bedroom.
Alessandro personally instructed them to bring fresh flowers, clean bedding, comfortable pillows, and warm food.
He wanted everything perfect.
Isabella helped Clara upstairs.
"Your old room is still here."
Clara looked around.
The walls were painted in soft cream tones. Her childhood photographs remained on the shelves. A small stuffed rabbit still sat on the bed.
She picked it up.
"You kept this?"
Isabella smiled.
"Your father refused to let anyone move it."
Clara looked toward the hallway.
Alessandro was speaking with Marco.
"Why?"
Isabella lowered her voice.
"Because he thought you might come back."
Clara's eyes filled again.
She sat on the bed.
"Did he really worry that much?"
Isabella nodded.
"Every day."
"Did he ever think I didn't want to see him?"
"Sometimes."
Clara lowered her head.
"That must have hurt."
"It did."
Isabella sat beside her.
"But he never stopped loving you."
Clara looked at her.
"Did he talk about me?"
"Every day."
Isabella smiled.
"He would ask whether I had heard from you. Whether your apartment was safe. Whether you were eating properly. Whether you needed anything."
Clara wiped her eyes.
"I should have called."
"Yes, darling. You should have."
Isabella held her hand.
"But whatever happened, you're here now."
A knock sounded.
Alessandro entered carrying a tray.
"May I come in?"
Clara smiled.
"Of course."
He placed the tray on a small table.
"I brought you some soup."
She laughed.
"Father, the staff could have done that."
"I know."
"Then why did you?"
He shrugged.
"Because I wanted to."
He sat beside her.
"Try a little."
Clara took the spoon.
Alessandro watched carefully.
"Is it too hot?"
"No."
"Too salty?"
She smiled.
"No."
"Good."
Isabella shook her head.
"You're going to drive her crazy."
Alessandro ignored the comment.
"Do you need anything else?"
Clara put down the spoon.
"Just one thing."
"Anything."
"Can you stay with me for a while?"
His expression softened.
"Of course."
He pulled a chair closer to the bed.
"Tonight, tomorrow, and every night you need me."
Clara reached for his hand.
And for the next hour, they talked.
Not about business.
Not about the Mafia.
Not about the dangerous world Alessandro controlled.
They talked about Clara's pregnancy.
They discussed baby names, the color of the nursery, and whether the child would inherit her mother's eyes.
Alessandro listened to every word.
He even took out a small notebook and began writing down the things Clara wanted.
Isabella laughed when she noticed.
"Are you making a business plan for your grandchild?"
Alessandro looked up.
"Someone has to organize things."
Clara laughed.
It was the first genuine laugh Isabella had heard from her in months.
And Alessandro would have paid any price to hear it again.
...
Later that night, the family doctor arrived.
Dr. Samuel Carter had treated the Moretti family for nearly twenty years.
He was a calm, experienced physician who had delivered several babies within the extended family.
He greeted Alessandro before entering Clara's room.
"How is she?"
"That's what I need you to tell me."
The doctor smiled.
"Let me examine her first."
Alessandro accompanied him inside.
Clara was lying comfortably against the pillows.
"Hello, Clara."
"Hello, Doctor."
"How have you been feeling?"
"Tired. Sometimes dizzy. And I've been having trouble sleeping."
The doctor nodded.
"Any pain?"
"Occasionally."
"Any bleeding?"
"No."
"Have you been attending regular prenatal appointments?"
Clara hesitated.
Alessandro noticed.
"Doctor?"
The physician turned toward him.
"Let's take things one step at a time."
He examined Clara carefully, checked her blood pressure, and listened to the baby's heartbeat.
A few minutes later, he smiled.
"The heartbeat sounds reassuring."
Alessandro immediately exhaled.
"Thank God."
Clara smiled.
"See? I'm fine."
The doctor looked at her.
"You need rest, proper nutrition, and regular medical supervision. I would also like to review your previous examinations and arrange a more complete assessment tomorrow."
Alessandro nodded.
"Whatever she needs."
The doctor packed his equipment.
Before leaving, he spoke privately with Alessandro.
"She's under considerable emotional stress."
"Can that affect the baby?"
"Stress is something we should try to reduce. I don't see an immediate emergency from this examination, but she needs consistent care."
Alessandro looked through the open door.
Clara was speaking with Isabella.
"I understand."
The doctor placed a hand on his shoulder.
"She needs her father more than anything right now."
Alessandro nodded.
"I'll be here."
...
At two in the morning, Alessandro was still awake.
He stood outside Clara's bedroom, listening to the quiet sounds inside.
He had instructed the staff to keep the hallway peaceful.
A security guard stood near the stairs.
Another monitored the garden.
Marco approached.
"Don Moretti."
Alessandro turned.
"Any news?"
"We found her previous apartment."
"And?"
"It had been searched."
Alessandro's eyes narrowed.
"By whom?"
"We are reviewing the security footage. Someone entered the building several times during the past month."
"Did they approach my daughter?"
"We don't know yet."
Alessandro looked toward Clara's bedroom.
"Find out."
"Yes, Don."
"And Marco?"
"Yes?"
"I want protection around her, but I don't want her to feel like a prisoner."
Marco nodded.
"Understood."
"Two guards outside the estate, two inside the grounds. Nobody enters without my permission."
"Understood."
Alessandro paused.
"Have you eaten?"
Marco looked surprised.
"Not yet."
"Then get something. I need you alert."
"Yes, Don."
Marco walked away.
Alessandro remained outside his daughter's room.
He had protected entire territories.
He had survived assassination attempts.
He had negotiated with men who would have happily watched him die.
But none of those experiences had prepared him for the fear of discovering that his daughter had been suffering alone.
He entered quietly.
Clara was awake.
"Father?"
He approached.
"Did I wake you?"
"No. I couldn't sleep."
He sat beside her.
"Are you uncomfortable?"
"A little."
"Would you like another pillow?"
She smiled.
"No."
He looked at her for a moment.
Then he asked quietly:
"Clara, can you tell me why you disappeared?"
Her smile faded.
She looked down at her hands.
"I wanted to tell you."
"I know."
"But I didn't know how."
"Why?"
She swallowed.
"Because I was afraid."
Alessandro leaned forward.
"Afraid of what, sweetheart?"
"That you would blame me."
He looked confused.
"Blame you for what?"
"For everything."
He gently touched her cheek.
"Clara, I am your father. You don't need to be perfect for me to love you."