Chapter 6 - A New EmpireThree months later, the headlines in the Chicago Tribune read: RUSSO SYNDICATE RESTRUCTURED: FINANCIAL FRAUD EXPOSED AS FEDS ARREST VANCE CARTEL.
The criminal landscape of Chicago had shifted permanently. With Vance behind bars and the corrupt elements purged from his organization, Dante Russo was no longer just an underground boss; he was a legitimate billionaire philanthropist reshaping the city’s infrastructure.
And the Russo mansion? The electrified gates and armed guards were still there, but the oppressive darkness had lifted.
I stood on the third-floor balcony, looking out over the rolling hills outside Chicago as the morning sun warmed the landscape. I was no longer a night maid wearing a borrowed uniform. My nursing degree was paid off in full, and a brand-new acceptance letter for a specialized trauma fellowship sat on the mahogany desk behind me.
Footsteps echoed softly on the hardwood floor, followed by strong arms wrapping around my waist from behind. Dante rested his chin on my shoulder, breathing in the scent of my hair.
"You're staring at the gates again," he murmured, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Thinking about running away to your hospital?"
I leaned back against his chest, turning my head to meet his dark, devoted eyes. "I'm not running anywhere. But I do have a condition for staying."
Dante raised an eyebrow, amused. "Name it."
"Rule three is officially abolished," I declared, turning around in his embrace and wrapping my arms around his neck. "No more forbidden floors. No more secrets. And definitely no more bleeding alone."
May you like
Dante pulled me flush against him, his expression softening into something entirely devoted, entirely human, and entirely mine.
"Consider it done," he whispered, and kissed me.
