THE MAFIA BOSS’S FIANCÉE ORDERED ME TO THROW AWAY HIS LATE FATHER’S OLD ARMY JACKET—BUT WHEN LUCA SAW WHAT FELL FROM THE POCKET, HE STOPPED THE ENTIRE PARTY.

Two weeks later.

The Chicago autumn had finally broken through the rain, casting a warm golden light through the mansion’s windows.

The house felt completely different. The dark, oppressive weight of Michael Moretti’s legacy was gone. The heavy curtains were pulled back, the staff was relaxed, and the sound of a child’s laughter echoed through the halls for the first time in over a decade.

I stood in the kitchen, folding a dish towel out of sheer habit.

I was no longer wearing my housekeeper uniform. Instead, I wore a simple cream sweater and jeans. I was officially Leo’s private tutor and guardian, though the title felt completely inadequate for how I actually spent my days.

“Aunt Emma!”

Leo ran into the kitchen, his cheeks flushed from running in the garden. He grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl. He looked healthier, the dark circles under his eyes completely gone.

“Hey, slow down,” I laughed, catching him before he ran back out. “Did you finish your math worksheet?”

“Dad said I didn’t have to do it today because it’s a special day!” Leo grinned before sprinting out the back door.

I smiled, shaking my head.

“He’s playing you,” a deep voice said from the doorway.

I turned around. Luca stood there, leaning against the doorframe, a cup of coffee in his hand. He wore a casual dark henley that rolled up at the forearms, completely stripping away the intimidating mafia boss persona. He just looked like a man at peace.

“You told him he didn’t have to do math?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I told him no such thing,” Luca smirked, walking toward me. “But I admire his strategy.”

He stopped directly in front of me. The air between us instantly thickened, the way it had every day since the night in the ballroom. We were circling each other, living in the same house, raising a child together, but neither of us had fully crossed the invisible line.

I was terrified of the power dynamic. He was a billionaire; I was the girl who used to scrub his baseboards.

Luca reached out and gently traced the silver chain around my neck—the one he had given me.

“You’re quiet today,” he noted, his dark eyes searching mine.

“I’m just thinking about my dad,” I admitted, looking down. “He’s being transferred to the new facility today.”

Luca had paid for my father to be moved to the best neurological rehabilitation center in the country. The doctors there were optimistic that with advanced therapy, he might regain his speech entirely.

“He’s going to be fine, Emma,” Luca said softly. “He’s the strongest man I know. He kept my son safe for twelve years.”

Luca reached into his back pocket and pulled out my father’s engraved silver pocket watch. He had taken it to a master jeweler to have it completely restored and polished.

“I want you to give this back to him today,” Luca said, placing the heavy timepiece into my palm.

I looked at the watch, tears pricking my eyes. “Thank you, Luca.”

“I’ll drive you,” he offered.

“You don’t have to. I can take a cab—”

“Emma.” Luca caught my hand, lacing his fingers through mine. The warmth of his touch sent a jolt straight to my chest. “I’m not your boss anymore. Stop trying to keep me at a distance.”

I looked up at him, my heart hammering against my ribs. “Luca, I just… I don’t belong in this world. The money, the power, the syndicate. I’m just Arthur Reed’s daughter.”

Luca stepped closer, his free hand cupping my jaw.

“You’re the woman who walked into a room with a gun to my head and figured out how to save my son’s life,” he whispered, his thumb brushing over my cheekbone. “You belong exactly where you want to belong. And I am praying it’s here. With us.”

He didn’t wait for my answer. He leaned down and kissed me.

It wasn’t hesitant. It was deep, confident, and filled with a desperate kind of relief. I let out a soft breath, my hands tangling in the soft fabric of his shirt, pulling him closer. For the first time in my life, I felt completely safe.