Lorenzo Rossy’s eyebrow arched an infinitesimal fraction of an inch. No one—not rival capos, not corrupt city councilmen, and certainly not trembling applicants—ever asked him if he had yelled at a woman who left his office in tears.

By the time spring finally arrived in Chicago, melting the gray snow and bringing warmth back to Wacker Drive, the landscape of the city’s underworld had completely transformed.

Giovanni Moretti was spending the rest of his natural life in a maximum-security federal penitentiary, utterly bankrupt. The remaining syndicates had bowed their heads to the Rossy Corporation, recognizing that Lorenzo Rossy wasn't just a feared boss—he was untouchable.

And on the fortieth floor of the Rossy Corporation, things were running like clockwork.

Chloe Bennett no. longer wore oversized thrift-store blazers or broken heels. She sat in a newly renovated corner office adjacent to Lorenzo’s, wearing a tailored designer suit, her desk completely organized, with a row of five different colored gel pens neatly aligned in a crystal holder.

Knock, knock.

The heavy double doors swung open. Lorenzo Rossy walked in, holding two cups of expensive espresso. He set one down on her desk.

“The board meeting went well,” Lorenzo said, leaning against her desk just like Matteo used to do. “The shipping expansion is approved. And our tax liabilities are lower than they’ve been in a decade.”

“Of course they are,” Chloe said without looking up from her spreadsheet. “I automated them.”

Lorenzo chuckled softly. He reached into his pocket and placed a small, velvet-lined box onto her desk.

Chloe stopped typing. She looked at the box, then up at Lorenzo. “What’s this? Another bonus? Hazard pay for surviving spring?”

“Open it,” Lorenzo instructed quietly, his dark eyes softening with a warmth that no rival boss had ever lived to see.

Chloe slowly popped the lid open. Inside sat a stunning, custom-designed diamond bracelet shaped like a tiny, interlocking chain of financial ledgers—and a brand-new, indestructible pair of designer red heels.

“You’re a terrifying mob boss, Lorenzo Rossy,” Chloe whispered, a bright smile breaking across her face.

“And you’re the best mistake I ever made,” Lorenzo replied, leaning down to rest his hands on the edge of her desk. “So, Miss Bennett... are you ready to renew your contract for another year?”