The man I loved for eight years refused to marry me—then he married my older sister. Three years later,

With blinding speed, Dante’s finger squeezed the trigger.

*Crack.*

The suppressed shot was barely a whisper over the turbines, but the bullet struck the Walther PPK in Julian’s hand with absolute precision, shattering the gun and sending it flying from his grip across the wet tarmac.

Before Julian could react, Viktor and Dante’s tactical team swarmed the airstair, tackling Julian to the ground and slapping heavy steel cuffs onto his wrists. Victoria collapsed onto the metal steps, sobbing uncontrollably as medics and security rushed forward to secure the area.

Within minutes, the airfield was swarming with federal police and Interpol agents, who took Julian into custody under a cascade of warrants for corporate fraud, money laundering, and conspiracy to commit murder.

As the police cruisers escorted Julian away in the back of a van, his curses echoing into the cold night air, the rain finally began to ease, parting to reveal the first pale streaks of dawn breaking over the eastern horizon.

Dante walked slowly back toward the Maybach, his gun safely reholstered. He opened the rear door. Leo was still fast asleep, clutching the silver pocket watch against his chest, completely unaware of the storm that had raged around him.

I leaned against the open door, exhaling a long, trembling breath I felt like I’d been holding for three years.

Dante stepped close, his warm hand gently resting on the small of my back, pulling me softly against his chest. He looked down at me, the harsh lines of the ruthless mafia boss softening into something tender, profound, and steady.

"It’s over," Dante whispered, pressing a gentle kiss to my temple. "We're safe."

"Where do we go now?" I asked, looking up into his dark eyes as the first golden rays of the morning sun broke through the clouds, illuminating the runway ahead.

Dante smiled—a slow, genuine smile I had never seen before—and wrapped his arm securely around my shoulders, drawing both Leo and me into his embrace as he looked toward the open horizon.

"Wherever you want," Dante said softly. "The world is ours."