The Mafia King Found My Secret Ultrasound — And Sealed the Exit Doors

Three days after the warehouse raid, the city belonged entirely to the Thorne family. Old Man Moretti, terrified of Roman’s retribution after receiving his daughter back in disgrace, had signed over all disputed harbor rights and retreated upstate. Marcus was vanished, stripped of every cent. The war was over.

Yet, inside the glass penthouse, an unsettling quiet had settled between Roman and Norah.

The contract Norah had signed sat on the polished desk in the study. She stood by the window, looking out over the peaceful harbor bathed in the golden hues of late afternoon. She was nearly four months along now, her bump gently curving beneath a soft cream sweater.

The door clicked open. Roman walked in, wearing a simple white linen shirt and dark trousers. He looked tired, but the violent edge that usually defined him seemed entirely washed away.

""Your medical checkup was clear,"" he said softly, standing a few paces behind her. ""Dr. Bennett says both you and the baby are completely healthy.""

""I know,"" Norah murmured. ""Thank you.""

Roman walked over to the desk, his eyes falling on the legal papers outlining their one-year marriage of convenience. He picked up the heavy brass fountain pen, stared at it, and then did something that made Norah turn around in shock.

He tore the contract cleanly down the center.

""What are you doing?"" Norah gasped.

Roman tossed the shredded papers into the burning fireplace, watching the flames consume the clauses, the stipulations, and the one-year expiration date.

""I can't do this anymore, Norah,"" Roman said, turning to face her. His grey eyes were completely open, vulnerable, and raw. ""I can't pretend this is an arrangement. I can't pretend I'm just your protector or the father of your child.""

Norah’s heart began to pound a frantic rhythm against her ribs. ""Roman...""

""The night I met you at that hotel bar, before I even knew your real name, you brought me back to life,"" he confessed, taking a step toward her. ""I spent my whole life surrounded by people who feared me, hated me, or wanted something from me. You looked at me like I was just a man. You listened to me. You made me laugh.""

He stopped right in front of her, his hands coming up to gently cup her cheeks. ""When you fainted at that gala and I saw that ultrasound, I told myself I was bringing you here for duty. For the family honor. But that was a coward’s lie.""

A tear slipped from Norah’s eye, tracing over his thumb.

""I brought you here because the thought of losing you ripped my soul in half,"" Roman whispered, his voice trembling with a passion that took her breath away. ""I fell in love with you at that hotel, Norah. And watching you stand up to my world, watching you protect our child, watching you show me mercy when I was ready to become a monster... I love you more than my own life.""

Norah’s breath hitched in her throat. All the walls she had spent months building crumbled to dust.

""You don't have to stay because of the Thorne name,"" Roman added, his voice dropping in quiet pain. ""If this life is too dark for you, I will buy you any estate in the world. I will fund your translation foundation. I will visit only when you permit it. Your freedom is yours.""

Norah reached up, covering his large hands with her own. A radiant, tearful smile broke across her face.

""You absolute idiot,"" she laughed through her tears.

Roman blinked, completely stunned. ""What?""

""Do you really think I survived kidnappings, shootouts, and mafia balls just to walk away from you?"" Norah asked, pulling his face down to hers. ""I don't want a mansion on the other side of the world, Roman. I don't want my freedom from you. I fell in love with a man named Roman in an old bar, and I fell even deeper in love with the man who held me in the dark and cried when our baby kicked.""

She pressed her lips to his, pouring every ounce of her devotion, desire, and soul into the kiss. Roman froze for half a heartbeat before pulling her desperately against his chest, lifting her off her feet as his mouth claimed hers with a joy so fierce it felt holy.