The wind on the balcony was sharp, carrying the bitter, fish-heavy tang of the Boston Harbor. It hit Dileia like a physical blow, cutting right through the thin polyester of her service uniform. She shivered, though she refused to wrap her arms around herself. Doing so would look like weakness, and tonight, weakness was a currency she couldn't afford to spend.

Three days after the raid on Pier 4, the Boston underworld had a new, undisputed order.

The Russian cell had been dismantled, Marcus Vance was residing permanently at the bottom of the Atlantic, and the Falcone syndicate was stronger and more unified than it had ever been.

In the sunlit kitchen of the Weston estate, Toby Foster sat at the marble island eating a plate of homemade pancakes prepared by Mrs. Higgins, his school backpack zipped and waiting by the door.

Dileia stood by the window, watching him laugh at something the housekeeper said. For the first time in six years, the heavy, crushing knot in her chest was completely gone. The bank notices, the loan sharks, the terrifying sleepless nights worrying about insulin costs—all of it had vanished into history.

Strong arms wrapped around her waist from behind, pulling her back against a warm, solid chest.

"You're staring at him like you still think he's going to disappear," Adriano murmured, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"I'm just getting used to the quiet," Dileia leaned back into his touch, her hands resting over his arms. "The contract is still valid, you know. Twelve months."

Adriano chuckled, turning her around in his arms so she was facing him. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, velvet box—not the plain platinum band from their courthouse wedding, but a heavy, custom-designed ring encrusted with rare black diamonds and white gold.

"I checked the addendum this morning," Adriano said, his gray eyes burning with fierce, absolute devotion. "There’s a clause you missed."

Dileia raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What clause is that?"

"The one that says if the wife falls in love with her husband before the year is up, the contract becomes permanent and non-negotiable."

Dileia looked up into the face of the most feared man in New England, feeling the sudden, dizzying rush of a gamble she had won. She smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck.