The most feared mafia boss in the country pointed a gun at my head while I cradled his dying baby against my chest, convinced I was kidnapping his son. Then the child swallowed for the first time in weeks, and I realized the real danger wasn't standing in front of me—it was already living inside his mansion.

It wasn't gentle. It was possessive, fierce, and filled with a raw, desperate hunger that swept away every rational thought in my mind. Lorenzo’s hand cupped the back of my neck, his thumb tracing my jawline as his lips claimed mine with an authority that left me gasping for air.

I didn't pull away.

For three years, I had been treated like a broken, useless thing by a man who sought to diminish me. But in Lorenzo’s arms, wrapped in his heat, his power, and his absolute protection, I felt alive for the first time since my daughter’s heart had stopped.

My free hand tangled in his damp, dark hair, pulling him closer, kissing him back with a fierce intensity of my own.

Lorenzo let out a low, guttural groan against my mouth, his grip tightening around my waist, lifting me slightly off my feet.

Beside us, Leo let out a small, dissatisfied squeak, squirming between our chests.

We broke apart, both of us breathing heavily, our foreheads resting together as Leo grumbled, his tiny mouth making nursing motions against my robe.

A faint, breathtaking smile broke across Lorenzo’s dark face—a smile so handsome it made my chest ache.

"My son has terrible timing," Lorenzo whispered, his thumb lightly stroking my swollen lower lip.

"He's hungry," I murmured, my cheeks burning with a hot, beautiful flush. "He needs his mother."

Lorenzo’s eyes widened slightly at the word mother. He looked down at Leo, then back at me, his gaze softening into something so deep and profound it terrified me.

"Yes," Lorenzo said softly, his voice trembling with a sincerity that shook me to my core. "He does."

He guided me back to the plush leather sofa, sitting down beside me, wrapping his arm around my shoulders as I unbuttoned the top of my silk robe to feed Leo.

As the baby latched on, content and warm, Lorenzo rested his head against my shoulder, watching his son eat with tears shining in his dark hazel eyes.

"His real mother... Isabella," Lorenzo spoke quietly, the room silent save for the crackle of the security monitors. "She died during delivery. She had a heart condition she hid from me because she wanted so desperately to give me an heir. When she passed... I felt like my life was over. I spent two months watching this little boy wither away, feeling completely helpless despite all my wealth and power."

He reached over, taking my hand, intertwining his long fingers with mine.

"And then you walked into his nursery," Lorenzo continued, looking up into my eyes. "A woman who had lost everything, yet still had enough love left inside her to save my child. You aren't just a maid in this house, Elena. You are the heart of it."

"Lorenzo..." I choked out, a tear spilling over my cheek. "I'm just a woman running from a terrible past. My ex... he's in your basement. My life is messy, dangerous, and broken."

"Your ex is no longer your problem," Lorenzo said, his tone turning into cold steel. "He will be handed over to the federal authorities along with Julian’s financial records. He will spend the rest of his miserable life in a maximum-security prison for domestic assault and conspiracy to kidnap."

He squeezed my hand firmly.

"And as for your past... it ends tonight. Tomorrow, the world will know that Elena Vance is under the absolute protection of the Rossi Syndicate. No one will ever threaten you again."

"Why are you doing this for me?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.