“DON'T YOU DARE GIVE THAT WOMAN A CHAIR! SHE DOESN'T BELONG AT THIS TABLE!” THE MAFIA BOSS'S SISTER HUMILIATED HIS 25-YEAR-OLD MAID FOR HELPING A

The fire department managed to save the upper floors of the mansion, but the basement and the grand ballroom were completely gutted.

By sunrise, the rain had stopped.

I sat on the tailgate of an ambulance, wrapped in a thick wool blanket. Leo was sitting next to me, drinking hot chocolate provided by the paramedics. He was bruised, but he was going to be fine.

Across the lawn, police cars were loading up Anthony and Sarah. Carmela had already been taken to an undisclosed location by Luca's men. She would never step foot in Chicago again.

Rachel and Mia were sitting in the back of one of Luca's black town cars. Rachel looked exhausted, but the terrified desperation was gone from her eyes. She had her daughter back. She was finally free.

I watched Luca speaking with the fire chief. He looked tired.

When he finished, he walked over to the ambulance.

"Leo," Luca said. "My men are going to take you to a hotel downtown. Get some sleep. Tomorrow, we'll talk about getting your tuition paid for the rest of the year."

Leo’s eyes widened. "Mr. Moretti, I can't ask you to do that."

"You didn't ask," Luca smiled tiredly. "I offered. Go."

Leo hugged me tight, then climbed into one of the waiting SUVs.

Luca and I were left alone.

He looked at me, his dark eyes tracing the smudges of ash on my cheeks.

"Your house is ruined," I said softly.

"It's just a house," Luca replied. "My family broke a long time ago, Emily. Tonight just burned the rest of the rot away."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, velvet box.

He handed it to me.

"What is this?" I asked, my heart hammering in my chest.

"Open it."

I clicked the box open. Inside, resting on white satin, was a delicate gold necklace with a small diamond pendant.

"It belonged to my grandmother," Luca said softly. "It’s the only piece of jewelry in the vault that survived the fire. She always said it should go to a woman who possessed true courage."

Tears stung my eyes. "Luca, I'm just your maid."

"You were never just a maid, Emily," he whispered, stepping closer. "You're the woman who stood up to my sister. The woman who saved a stranger's marriage. The woman who brought light back into this dark, miserable life."

He gently lifted the necklace from the box and fastened it around my neck. The gold was cold, but his fingers against my skin were burning hot.

"Don't go back to cleaning floors," Luca murmured, his face inches from mine. "Stay with me."

I looked up into his eyes.