Chapter 6 - The Sovereign’s LedgerThree months later, the spring thaw finally broke over Chicago, turning the gray slush of Michigan Avenue into a gleaming expanse of rain-washed stone.
The Ashworth-Moretti estate looked different. The cameras along the north courtyard had been upgraded to military-grade dual-lens systems. The staff had been vetted twice over. And the girl who used to clean the bookshelves above the grand staircase no longer wore the gray housekeeping uniform.
In the sunlit conservatory overlooking the private gardens, Norah sat at a wrought-iron table, going over the estate's quarterly charitable allocations—a foundation Roman had set up in her name to help rehabilitate former gambling addicts and support families trapped in the city's underworld.
The heavy oak door opened, and Roman walked in. He had removed his suit jacket, his white sleeves rolled up to his elbows, looking more like a man at peace than the undisputed king of the South Loop.
He walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder, breathing in the scent of lemon and cedar.
"You're working too hard," he murmured against her neck.
"I'm balancing the ledger," Norah smiled, leaning back against his chest. "Your cousin Dante says I spend too much money on the rehabilitation center."
"Dante handles the docks, not the philanthropy," Roman growled playfully, pressing a warm kiss to her collarbone. "If you want to bankrupt my holding companies, you have my full permission."
Norah turned in his arms, wrapping her hands around his neck and looking up into those familiar, intense amber eyes. The fear she had felt that rainy night in the alley was gone, replaced by an unshakable truth.
She had tried to stay invisible in a world built on shadows. But Roman Moretti hadn't just seen her—he had rewritten his entire empire to keep her safe.
"I love you, Roman," she whispered.
May you like
Roman’s expression softened, the cold predator completely vanishing beneath the fierce, absolute devotion he reserved only for her.
"I know," he replied, pulling her flush against his heart. "And the ledger is balanced forever."
