The man thought for a long moment, then nodded. "We'll join you," he said. "My name is Leo. Salvatore was my cousin—but he forgot what family means. I'm tired of fighting."
He signaled to his men, and they lowered their guns. Just then, Isabella's reinforcements arrived—dozens of men in unmarked cars, their guns ready. When they saw that the fighting had stopped, they stood down.
Clara walked over to Leo and held out her hand. "Welcome," she said. "Together, we'll make sure no one ever uses those weapons for harm again."
Back inside the villa, the bosses emerged from the safe room, their faces filled with awe. Marcus walked up to Clara, his head bowed. "I'm sorry," he said. "I should have trusted you. I was wrong to hide the weapons."
"It's okay," she said. "We all make mistakes. The important thing is that we learn from them."
Over the next few hours, they worked out the details: Leo and his men would join their network, serving as extra security. The weapons would be locked away in a secure location, accessible only with the approval of three bosses—Clara, Marcus, and Enzo. And a council would be formed to settle disputes, with each boss having an equal voice.
As the sun set over the villa, Alessandro pulled Clara aside. "You did it," he said, wrapping his arms around her. "You turned enemies into allies. I'm so proud of you."
She leaned her head on his chest. "I couldn't have done it without you," she said. "Or Enzo, or Isabella. We're a team."