His Cane Corso Barked at an Empty Guest Room Every Night—Until the Maid Opened the Vent Nero barked three times. Pause.

The aftermath was a blur of flashing lights, radio chatter, and EMTs.

Police swarmed the estate. Elena Duca was escorted out in handcuffs, screaming obscenities, her dignified facade entirely shattered. Marcus Vance was apprehended twenty minutes later at O'Hare Airport, trying to board a private flight to the Caymans.

Gabriel sat on the back of an ambulance, a paramedic tightly wrapping his shoulder. His white shirt was ruined, his face pale and drawn, but his eyes were clearer than they had been in years.

He watched as a female officer gently placed a blanket over Lily’s shoulders. The little girl was holding her grandmother's silver locket tightly, leaning against Olivia's leg.

Gabriel stood up, waving off the paramedic's protests, and walked over to them.

"Mrs. Carter," Gabriel said softly.

Olivia looked up. Her hair was a mess, her robe torn, but she stood tall. "Mr. Duca. Are you alright?"

"I should be asking you that," Gabriel said. He looked down at Lily. "I believe this belongs to you."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out the stuffed rabbit Lily had dropped during the chaos.

Lily’s eyes lit up. She took the rabbit and hugged it tightly. "Thank you, Mr. Gabriel."

Gabriel knelt down, wincing slightly at his shoulder. "Lily, I want to apologize. My home was supposed to be safe. It wasn't. But because of you, and your very brave mother, the bad people are gone. And they will never, ever come back."

Lily looked at him, then over at Nero, who was sitting proudly by the ambulance, getting entirely too many head scratches from a young police officer. "Is the dog okay?"

Gabriel smiled, a genuine, warm expression that Olivia had never seen before. "Nero is the hero of the night. He gets steak for breakfast. In fact, if your mother allows it, Nero's sister just had a litter of puppies. I think one of them needs a brave girl to take care of him."

Lily gasped, turning to Olivia with wide, pleading eyes. "Mommy? Please?"

Olivia couldn't help but laugh, tears pricking her eyes. "We'll talk about it, baby."

Gabriel stood back up, facing Olivia. The strict, intimidating billionaire was gone. In his place was a man who had just had his life, his legacy, and his soul handed back to him.

"You saved my life tonight, Olivia. You saved my company. And you saved my father's memory," Gabriel said quietly. "You remembered a detail about a man you never met, just from doing your job."

"I notice things, Mr. Duca. It's what you pay me to do."

"Not anymore."

Olivia’s heart dropped. Was he firing her? After all this?

Gabriel saw the panic in her eyes and quickly shook his head. "No, no. Please don't misunderstand. I'm not firing you. I'm promoting you."

He gestured to the massive, sprawling estate behind them. "Mrs. Hess left a vacuum when she ran. This house needs someone who sees everything. Someone who isn't afraid to speak the truth, even to me. I want you to be the Head Estate Manager. You'll have the executive suite in the West Wing. Lily can have her own room. Full tuition paid for whatever school she wants. And you will never have to clean another vent as long as you live."

Olivia stared at him, speechless. The weight of her struggles—the bills, the long hours, the fear of not providing enough for her daughter—lifted off her shoulders, evaporating into the cold night air.

"I... I don't know what to say," Olivia stammered.

"Say yes," Gabriel said kindly. "Please."