The rain did not let up as Dorian Ashford arrived.

Spring arrived in New Orleans with an explosion of azaleas and jasmine that filled the humid air with sweet perfume.

The federal trials of Viktor Petrov and Julian Vance concluded swiftly, resulting in consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole in a maximum-security federal facility. The Ashford shipping empire was completely restructured, purged of corruption, and returned to unquestioned dominance along the Gulf Coast.

At the Ashford estate, life had settled into a rhythm of warmth, laughter, and healing.

Leo was thriving. He was back on the soccer team, his grades were soaring, and the dark shadows that had once haunted his eyes were entirely gone. He still drew pictures of wolves, but now he drew them standing beside a fierce black dog and two tall figures guarding a sunlit bridge.

One warm Saturday afternoon, Audrey sat on the veranda overlooking the grand gardens, sipping iced tea while reading through a stack of architectural blueprints for a new community clinic downtown—a project fully funded by the Ashford Foundation, with Audrey acting as its director.

Footsteps approached from behind, and a familiar warmth settled over her shoulders as Dorian draped a light cashmere shawl around her.

“You’re working too hard,” Dorian murmured, leaning down to press a soft kiss against the top of her head.

Audrey leaned back against his chest, smiling as she set the blueprints down on the patio table. “I’m not working, I’m planning. The community center opens in three months, and there are still three rooms without proper lighting.”

“Marcus can handle the lighting,” Dorian said, pulling up a chair and sitting beside her, taking her hand in his. “Your only job today is to relax.”

“I’m very good at relaxing,” Audrey teased, raising an eyebrow. “In case you forgot, I spent four months sleeping in a guest cottage while you treated me like an empress.”

“You earned every second of it,” Dorian replied softly, his dark eyes softening with an intense, quiet affection that never failed to make her heart skip a beat.

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

Audrey’s breath hitched. She froze, looking at the box in his hands.

Dorian didn't offer a grand, poetic speech. He simply opened the lid to reveal a platinum ring set with a single, flawless diamond that caught the golden afternoon sunlight like a drop of river water.

“When my son fell off that bridge, I thought I was losing everything that mattered in this world,” Dorian said, his voice deep and steady, carrying an absolute certainty that reached straight into Audrey’s soul. “You pulled him out of the dark. And then you quietly anchored me, too. I don't ever want to let you go, Audrey Voss.”

Tears welled in Audrey’s eyes, but this time, they weren't from cold or fear. They were tears of profound, overwhelming peace.

“I thought you were the most terrifying man in New Orleans when I first called that number,” Audrey whispered with a shaky smile.