Chapter 5 - A NEW LIFE
Clara woke up to the steady beep of a heart monitor. The blinding white lights of the hospital room slowly came into focus. Julian was sitting in a chair beside her bed, holding her hand with both of his, his head bowed.
"Julian?" she croaked.
His head snapped up, and tears of absolute relief spilled down his cheeks. "You're awake. Thank God, Clara. You're safe."
"The baby?" she panicked, trying to sit up.
Julian gently pushed her back down. "She's perfect. She's small, but she's a fighter, just like her mother. She's in the NICU. I've already set up a trust fund for her."
Clara leaned back, tears slipping from her eyes. "The drive..."
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"The FBI has it," Julian smiled fiercely. "Victoria’s boyfriend was arrested at O'Hare trying to board a private jet to Dubai. The money laundering case is airtight. The feds seized all his assets, including the land under the diner. The city lifted the health code violation after reviewing the security footage we found of Victoria bribing the inspector."
Clara let out a breath she felt she had been holding for six months. She had won. But as she looked at Julian, seeing the deep bags under his eyes and the absolute devotion in his posture, she realized she had won much more than a restaurant.
