My boss’s six-year-old son pointed at me in a hallway full of dangerous men and announced that I was too beautiful to be alone, so I should become his mommy. Everyone expected Adrian Kane, Manhattan’s most feared crime boss, to shut him down, but instead he asked one quiet question, and his little boy’s answer wiped every trace of color from his face.

Three Months Later

The morning sun filtered through the sheer curtains of the master bedroom, casting a warm, golden glow over the tangled sheets.

I shifted on the massive mattress, reaching my hand out. The space beside me was empty, but the sheets were still warm.

I sat up, pulling Adrian’s oversized dress shirt around my shoulders, and padded barefoot out of the room. The sprawling penthouse was quiet, a stark contrast to the chaos that had defined our lives just a few months ago.

I found them on the balcony.

Adrian was sitting in a low lounge chair, wearing only sweatpants, his chest bare. A jagged, pink scar slashed across his ribs—a permanent reminder of the day our lives changed. But his face, once hardened by the weight of a criminal empire, was relaxed. The dark circles under his eyes were gone.

Sitting on his lap was Noah, diligently coloring a picture of a rather lopsided elephant.

“If you color Gerald blue, he’s going to be very confused,” Adrian murmured, resting his chin on top of Noah’s head.

“Elephants can be blue in my world,” Noah stated matter-of-factly.

“I can’t argue with that logic,” Adrian smiled.

I leaned against the glass door frame, watching them. The syndicate was quiet. Eleanor was permanently exiled to a heavily guarded compound in Europe, stripped of her wealth and influence. David had taken over the security detail for Kane Enterprises, finding a home and a purpose after a decade on the run.

And me?

I wasn't a secretary anymore. I was a partner. Adrian had integrated the legitimate sides of his business, handing me the reins of the charitable foundations and legal holdings. We were building something new. Something clean.

Adrian looked up, sensing my presence. His dark eyes softened instantly, a slow, devastating smile spreading across his face.

“You’re awake,” he said softly.

“It’s hard to sleep when my two favorite men are missing,” I teased, walking over and kissing the top of Noah’s head.

“Look, Mom!” Noah held up his drawing. He had started calling me Mom naturally, without prompting, and every time he did, my heart grew a little bigger. “It’s us!”

I looked at the crayon drawing. There was a tall stick figure in black, a smaller stick figure holding a blue elephant, and a third figure with bright auburn hair.

But drawn above the three figures was a small, crudely sketched silver locket.

My breath caught. “It’s beautiful, Noah.”

Adrian shifted Noah off his lap gently. “Hey buddy, go show Uncle David your drawing. I think he’s in the kitchen eating all our cereal.”

Noah gasped. “My lucky charms!” He bolted inside, the sliding glass door shutting behind him.

Adrian stood up and wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me flush against his chest. I rested my hands on his shoulders, tracing the edge of his scar.

“You’re thinking too loud,” he murmured, kissing my forehead.

“I’m just… happy,” I admitted, looking up at him. “It feels like a dream. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

Adrian’s expression turned serious. He reached into the pocket of his sweatpants.

“There is one more thing,” he said quietly. “David brought this over last night. We found it in a safety deposit box my father opened before he died. I haven’t opened it yet.”

He handed me a heavy, wax-sealed envelope. The handwriting on the front was faded, but I recognized it instantly.

It was my mother’s handwriting.

To Adrian and Clara.