Chapter 8 - The Scars We CarryBy noon, the estate had been completely purged.
Dr. Whitfield and Mr. Crowley were gone, driven off the property by Everett’s loyal security detail—men who had remained faithful to the true boss all along, waiting silently for the right moment to strike.
The medical monitors had been cleared from the master suite. The harsh fluorescent lights had been replaced with warm, golden sunlight pouring through the large bay windows overlooking Lake Michigan.
Willa stood by the window, folding her canvas bag. She placed her worn spiral notebook inside it, along with her nurse's pin.
"Where are you going?"
Willa turned around. Everett was leaning against the doorframe, dressed in a fresh dark suit, looking every bit the ruthless Chicago kingpin he was—yet his expression was soft, almost hesitant.
"My job here is done," Willa said quietly, avoiding his gaze. "Your health is back. Your empire is secure. You don't need a fake bride anymore, Mr. Kane."
Everett pushed off the doorframe and walked slowly toward her. The room seemed to shrink with his presence.
"Look at me, Willa," he commanded softly.
She looked up, her slate-gray eyes meeting his.
"When you whispered to me at the altar," Everett said, his voice low and intense, "you told me you wouldn't laugh at me. You told me we were both prisoners."
"Things are different now," Willa whispered. "You're free."
"I was a prisoner of my own family," Everett replied, closing the distance between them until she could feel the heat radiating from him. "But you... you brought me back into the light. Do you really think I’m going to let you walk out of these gates with a nineteen-dollar dress and a canvas bag?"
Willa’s breath hitched. "Sterling's deal—"
"Sterling's deal is void," Everett interrupted. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a heavy, velvet-lined box, snapping it open. Inside rested a thick, custom-designed diamond ring that put the simple wedding band to shame. "Your mother’s facility has been paid in full for the next ten years. Her medical debt doesn't exist anymore. And as for you..."
May you like
He gently took her hand, his fingers warm and strong.
"I never asked for a fake bride, Willa. I asked for a wife. And I don't intend to let her go."
