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The silence in the master bedroom stretched so tight I could hear the slow, heavy drip of my own pulse in my ears. Dominic Rossi’s dark eyes locked onto mine, burning with a feverish intensity that should have sent me running back down the hallway and out into the rain / Chapter 18 / 40

Chapter 18 - The New Protocol

“Clean books don't exist in your line of work, Dominic,” I said, looking up into his dark, intense eyes as he closed the distance between us until only a breath separated our faces.

“They do if the person auditing them is running the house,” he replied softly, his hand reaching out to gently trace the line of my jaw. The warmth of his skin sent a familiar, electric shiver straight down my spine. “You saved my life twice, Nora. You dismantled my most trusted traitor with a surgical instrument, and you refused to run when the walls literally started caving in.”

“My rent was paid four weeks ago,” I reminded him, though my voice lacked any real conviction. “I could technically pack my duffel and move back to the city.”

“You could,” Dominic agreed, a slow, dangerous, utterly captivating smile touching the corners of his mouth. “Except for one small detail.”

“And what’s that?”

“I changed the household rules while you were downstairs,” he whispered, leaning down so his lips hovered just inches from mine.

“Rule one: you never leave this estate. Rule two: you never argue with my medical advice. And rule three: you are officially a permanent fixture of the Rossi family.”

My heart did a familiar, dangerous flutter against my ribs. “And if I refuse?”

“Then I’ll just have to shoot myself in the other shoulder so you have a professional reason to stay,” he murmured against my lips before capturing them in a deep, consuming kiss that swept away every remaining vestige of my old life.

When we finally broke apart, breathless and smiling, the heavy double doors of the study opened slightly. Leo was gone, replaced by a new, thoroughly vetted head of security who knocked respectfully before stepping inside.

“Boss,” the new guard announced. “The northern ports are secure, and the council is waiting for your confirmation on the new logistics framework.”

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The rain tapped a frantic rhythm against the glass of Marissa’s cramped,...

My hand froze inches from the cold steel of the Sig Sauer P226. Beneath the amber glow of the bedside lamp, the source of the warmth against my side wasn't an assassin, an operative from a rival syndicate, or a traitorous lieutenant.

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The single word hung in the sterile air of the hospital corridor, heavy enough to fracture the foundation I had spent decades building.

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Dominic didn't break eye contact with me. “Tell them the council can wait. I’m currently undergoing mandatory medical supervision.”

The guard blinked once, nodded stiffly, and backed out of the room, closing the door softly behind him.

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