The engine purred as Claire's red convertible glided down the narrow road leading to her hometown.
The bright afternoon sun beat down on the fields and houses she passed, glinting off the polished red paint of the car. The yellow ring on her finger shimmered faintly in the sunlight, almost unnoticed.
Her hair, loose and free, whipped in the wind, but her sunglasses shielded her expression, calm and focused as always.
It had been over a year since things got… really complicated. A year of endless meetings, intense training, and perfectly fitting into her Signora role.
But today wasn't about business. Today, she was Claire, the daughter, the cousin, the niece, the aunt. At least, that's what she kept telling herself, though a part of her doubted it was that simple anymore.
The turn into her mom's driveway was so familiar that she didn't even have to slow down to make it.
