Chapter 6 - The Rule Broken Forever
One month later.
Spring was beginning to touch the hills outside Chicago. The snow had melted, giving way to bright green lawns, blooming tulips, and warm golden sunshine that flooded the grand estate.
On the third-floor private terrace overlooking the gardens, a small, elegant table was set for breakfast.
Sitting in a comfortable armchair was Owen. He looked healthier than he ever had in his life—his cheeks full of color, his smile bright and energetic following his successful kidney transplant three weeks ago. He was eating a large plate of pancakes while chatting with Dr. Mercer.
A few feet away, standing by the stone railing, was Mara.
She wore a breathtaking cream-colored silk dress that draped gracefully over her curves. Her brown hair fell in soft ringlets around her shoulders, and her skin glowed with health and happiness. She was no longer the exhausted girl carrying the weight of the world; she was radiant, cherished, and free.
Arms wrapped around her waist from behind.
Adrian pulled her close against his broad chest, resting his chin on her shoulder. He breathed in the sweet scent of her hair, his arms holding her with a gentle, fierce protectiveness.
Leonard Carver and his syndicate had been completely dismantled. Vanessa Carver had been stripped of her assets and banished from Illinois, while Leonard’s former allies had submitted to Adrian’s complete authority without a single murmur of dissent. No one would ever threaten Mara or her family again.
“What are you thinking about?” Adrian whispered into her ear, his lips brushing against her soft skin.
Mara smiled, placing her hands over his. “I was thinking about the night I fell asleep in your bed.”
Adrian let out a soft, low chuckle that vibrated against her back. “The night you broke my five-year rule.”
“Are you still angry about it, Mr. Vale?” she teased, turning around in his arms to look up into his striking gray eyes.
“It was the best mistake that ever happened in this house,” Adrian said softly, his expression turning deeply tender.
He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small, velvet box. He opened it, revealing a breathtaking ten-carat emerald-cut diamond ring that caught the morning sunlight, sparkling like liquid fire.
Mara’s breath hitched in her throat. Her eyes filled with happy tears as she looked up at him.
“Five years ago, I swore I would never let anyone into my life again,” Adrian said, taking her right hand in his. “I built a fortress because I was afraid of pain. But you walked into my darkness, Mara, and you brought light back into my heart.”
He looked into her green eyes with an absolute, unshakeable devotion.
“I don't want a wife for influence, or for business, or for show,” Adrian whispered, slipping the ring onto her finger. “I want you. Only you. For the rest of my life. Will you marry me, Mara?”
Mara didn't hesitate. She threw her arms around his neck, pulling him down into a deep, passionate kiss that sealed their souls together forever.
“Yes!” she cried against his lips, laughing through her tears. “Yes, Adrian! A thousand times yes!”
Over by the breakfast table, Owen cheered and clapped, while Marcus and the estate staff applauded from the doorway.
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Adrian lifted Mara into his arms, spinning her around under the warm golden sun, his heart fuller than it had ever been.
The mafia boss had rejected every woman in the world. But in the arms of the brave, loving maid who had broken his rules, he had finally found his home.
