Dane still needed to head over to the Westside.
Within half a year, the area had undergone a monumental transformation.
Hearing that he was going to inspect the project there, Claire decided she wanted to tag along.
"You're leaving with Dane?"
Claire nodded. "I'm going to check things out with him. We'll be heading back to Cabinda in a couple of days."
Mary also took the opportunity to say her goodbyes.
Spending the holidays in the village had already been enough of an imposition on her old friend, and she had no intention of overstaying her welcome.
Claire didn't try to make them stay, because since she was leaving, it was only natural that Mary and the others would follow suit.
Instead, she turned her attention to Pandora.
"Pandora, why don't you come out with us? Wouldn't you like to go check on Hearth & Kettle?"
Back to Hearth & Kettle?
Pandora remembered Claire mentioning that their enemies were already making moves.
She might as well make the trip.
Pandora's agreement was exactly what Claire had expected.
She could tell the older woman didn't actually want to remain isolated forever.
She had only agreed to live in rural seclusion all these years for the sake of her descendants.
If it meant keeping Claire and her parents safe, Pandora would have gladly stayed in the village for the rest of her life.
But if the danger passed, she was more than willing to step back into the world.
While the crisis was far from over, their rivals were finally showing their hands.
The seasoned matriarch was probably looking forward to going toe-to-toe with them again.
However, this would inevitably put her in danger.
Claire felt a sudden pang of regret. "Actually, you should probably just stay in the village."
"The holidays aren't even over yet, and everyone here still needs your guidance." Pandora shot her a flat look. "What exactly do they need me for here?"
What was so special about the holidays, anyway? They were exactly the same every single year.
People hosted dinners every day in the village, and she could eat at a different house every night for two weeks straight without repeating a host.
But the food was always the same traditional fare. It was delicious, but she had grown completely sick of it over the decades.
She decided it was time for her to step back into the spotlight.
She might have lived out of the public eye for years, but she was in seclusion, not dead.
Someone had gone after her son and daughter-in-law, and now they were targeting her granddaughter There was no way Pandora would ever take that lying down!
Ever since Claire mentioned the surveillance equipment planted in their home, she had ordered The James Family operatives in Cabinda to investigate everyone the girl had come into contact with.
She wouldn't let a single suspicious individual slip through the cracks.
She had her people dig up every last shred of background information on all of them.
When she announced she was leaving, Pearce's immediate reaction was to intervene. "I'll go with you!"
He wasn't comfortable letting her go into the city alone.
It wasn't that he was afraid some fool would try to bully her.
Quite the opposite he was terrified she would completely destroy someone.
Times had changed. As a
law-abiding citizen who kept up with the daily news, Pearce was
genuinely worried she might take the law into her own hands.
After all, the former head of the family hadn't exactly been a saint either.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have established his own offshore territories and amassed such ruthless power.
"You stay here," Pandora said with a look of absolute disdain. "You're getting old. If
you really want to travel, take your wife somewhere nice."
"Have Dewitt book a vacation package for you two or something."
"As for me, taking Dewitt along will be more than enough."
There were plenty of capable men in The James Village, and Pandora had no
intention of leaving herself unprotected.
Pearce went completely silent. Was he actually being brushed off?
It figured she would prefer the younger generation's company.
Seeing that the matriarch's return was set in stone, Claire quickly dialed Jennifer.
She exchanged a few warm pleasantries before letting her know that Pandora would be staying at Hearth & Kettle for a few days.