The first time the Mafia boss’s baby reached for me, I thought he wanted the silver necklace around my throat.

The weeks following the attack on the estate brought a complete purging of the old order.

Dominic Moretti was permanently removed from Philadelphia, handed over to federal authorities along with a mountain of evidence regarding his financial crimes, ensuring he would spend the rest of his life behind bars.

The Moretti syndicate was restructured from the ground up. Luca dismantled the illegal gambling and smuggling rings, transitioning the family’s assets fully into legitimate freight, real estate, and international logistics corporations.

The fortress in Chestnut Hill changed, too.

The dark, cold oil paintings were replaced with warm landscape photos and framed finger-paintings made by Leo. The quiet halls were now filled with the sound of laughter, running footsteps, and bright music.

By the time spring arrived, Leo had turned eighteen months old. He was walking—running, really—across the green lawns of the estate, chasing our new golden retriever puppy.

I sat on a wooden bench under a massive oak tree, sipping warm tea, watching him play.

Footsteps approached from the gravel path. Luca walked up, wearing a simple blue linen shirt and dark trousers, looking younger and happier than I had ever seen him.

He sat down beside me on the bench, slipping his arm around my waist and drawing me against his side.

“How is the new Chief Financial Officer of Moretti Logistics feeling today?” Luca teased gently, kissing my temple.

“Exhausted,” I laughed, resting my head against his shoulder. “Your freight managers are stubborn, Luca.”

“They learn quickly when you explain things to them,” he smiled.

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

My heart stopped.

Luca turned to face me, taking my hand in his. He opened the box to reveal a magnificent ring—a brilliant, cushion-cut diamond set on a delicate platinum band surrounded by tiny sapphire stones.

“Avery,” Luca said softly, his deep voice thick with emotion. “Eighteen months ago, a heartbroken girl walked up to Table Twelve with a wine list and saved my son’s life. Then she saved mine.”

He slipped the ring out of the box, holding it gently against my finger.

“You gave us a home when we only had a house. You gave us love when we were surrounded by darkness. Will you marry me, Avery? Will you be my wife, Leo’s mother, and the queen of my life?”

Tears spilled over my eyelashes as I looked into his dark, devoted eyes.

“Yes,” I whispered, throwing my arms around his neck. “Yes, Luca! A thousand times yes!”

From across the lawn, Leo saw us hugging and came waddling over as fast as his little legs could carry him, letting out a joyful giggle.