My billionaire mafia husband asked if I could still love him if he never walked again, but before I could answer, a terrifying phone call changed everything...

Three days later, the rain had cleared, leaving a crystalline winter sun shining down upon the Vale estate in upstate New York.

The mansion was heavily guarded by double the standard security force, but inside, the atmosphere was strangely peaceful. Doctor Callahan was gone, transferred to a secure subterranean facility where his sins would be audited by Vale loyalists. My mother was resting comfortably in the guest suite under the care of top-tier private trauma nurses, completely out of danger.

I walked into the master bedroom carrying a tray of fresh broth and tea.

Adrian was sitting up in the massive four-poster bed. The exo-braces were gone, his bare legs resting motionless beneath the silk sheets. His torso was wrapped in tight medical bandages, and bruises still bloomed across his collarbone and cheek. Yet, sitting there against the pillows, reading through a stack of decrypted financial ledgers, he still looked every bit the imperious king.

When he saw me, he immediately set the papers aside. The coldness in his eyes melted into something warm, deep, and fiercely protective.

"You should be resting, Claire," he said softly. "You barely slept an hour last night."

I set the tray on the nightstand and sat on the edge of the mattress. I reached out and gently traced the healing cut along his cheekbone.

"I couldn't sleep because every time I closed my eyes, I saw you falling," I whispered.

Adrian took my hand, pressing his lips to my palm. "The experimental braces burned out the remaining motor neurons in my L4 vertebrae. Callahan’s replacement confirmed it this morning. There will be no more twelve-minute miracles, Claire. I am in the chair for the rest of my life."

He looked at me intently, searching my eyes for even a flicker of regret, hesitation, or deceit.

I smiled, leaning down until our foreheads rested against one another.

"Did you forget what I told you in the cellar?" I murmured, my lips brushing his. "I don't need you to walk, Adrian. I just need you to be mine."

He pulled me into a kiss that stole whatever breath I had left. It wasn't the kiss of a ruthless mafia don or a calculated billionaire. It was desperate, passionate, and filled with a tender reverence that shook me to my core. When we finally parted, both of us breathless, he reached under his pillow.

He brought out a small, velvet jeweler's box.

Inside rested a ring that put the original contractual band to shame—a flawless, deep blue sapphire surrounded by a halo of micro-diamonds.

"No contracts this time, Claire," Adrian said, his voice thick with emotion. "No business merger. No shadows between us. Marry me again. As my equal. As my queen."

Tears of pure joy sprang to my eyes. "Yes. A thousand times, yes."

He slipped the ring onto my finger, pulling me down into his arms as the sunlight bathed the room in gold. For the first time since I had entered the dangerous world of Adrian Vale, I felt an overwhelming sense of peace.

We had survived the fire. We had defeated Victor.

We were finally safe.