My Ruthless Mafia Boss Caught Me Whispering "I Love You" At 3 A.M.—When He Saw The Hospital Bill In My Pocket, Everything Changed

While the physical war had ended on the lawn of the Blackwood estate, a legal storm erupted across New York over the following three weeks.

Dominic Moretti had been taken into federal custody after Kieran strategically leaked twenty years of unredacted financial records and wiretaps directly to the United States District Court. Kieran had spent years building leverage against the rival syndicate, keeping the files as an insurance policy. He burned that leverage in a single night to ensure Dominic would spend the rest of his natural life behind the walls of ADX Florence supermax prison.

Sitting in Kieran's sunlit library, wearing a warm cashmere sweater he had bought for me, I watched the morning news broadcast on the large television screen.

*"In a stunning dawn raid, federal agents arrested Dominic Moretti and twelve high-ranking lieutenants across three boroughs. Charges include racketeering, conspiracy, and extortion. Anonymous sources indicate a massive cache of encrypted files was surrendered directly to the Department of Justice..."*

A gentle pair of hands rested on my shoulders, massaging away the lingering tension. Kieran leaned down, kissing the side of my neck.

"Satisfied?" he murmured.

"More than satisfied," I said, leaning back into his embrace. "Is your arm healing?"

"Dr. Vance changed the dressing an hour ago. She says I'm fit enough to carry my bride over the threshold," he smiled, pressing another soft kiss to my cheek.

"Bride?" I teased gently, turning in the leather chair to face him. "We haven't even had an official date, Mr. Blackwood. You can't just skip straight to carrying me over thresholds."

Kieran raised an eyebrow, a teasing glint in his dark eyes. "An official date? Saraphina, I fought off twenty armed mercenaries on my front lawn, took a bullet graze to the ribs, and dismantled a criminal empire for you. In my world, that qualifies as dinner and a movie."

I burst out laughing, wrapping my arms around his waist. "Fair point. But I still want the movie."

"You can have whatever you want," he said, suddenly growing serious. He pulled a black velvet box from his pocket and set it on the desk between us. "Starting with this."

I held my breath as he popped open the lid. Inside rested a breathtaking platinum ring set with an emerald-cut diamond, flanked by two delicate sapphire stones.

"The sapphires represent hope and healing," Kieran said softly, taking my left hand into his. "I had it made the day Leo smiled for the first time in that bedroom. Will you marry me, Saraphina? Not because you need protection, and not because of a debt. But because you love me as much as I love you."