"A three-year-old girl stopped a Mafia heir from taking his first bite of birthday cake, but when the frosting tested positive for something deadly, everyone wondered how a child had seen what trained security missed.

The sun was just beginning to crest over the frozen tree line of the Westchester estate, painting the winter sky in shades of bruised purple and pale gold.

Vincent Moretti was gone—bound, gagged, and hauled away to a secure federal holding facility known only to Dominic’s most trusted inner circle. The threat had been neutralized, the cameras restored, and the estate returned to a semblance of rigid, unyielding order.

Inside the private library, a roaring fire crackled in the hearth, casting a warm, flickering glow across the dark wood bookshelves.

Ethan was upstairs, sleeping soundly under the watchful eye of Dr. Harris, fully recovered from the terrifying ordeal of the previous night.

Anna sat in a high-backed leather chair across from Dominic’s large mahogany desk. She held a steaming mug of black coffee between her hands, her face calm, though her mind was racing.

Dominic sat opposite her, nursing a glass of scotch. He had been staring at her in near-complete silence for the past five minutes.

"You didn't learn those moves folding linens, Mrs. Carter," Dominic finally said, his deep voice cutting through the crackle of the fire.

Anna took a slow sip of her coffee, setting the mug down on the saucer with a deliberate clink. "People have strange hobbies, Mr. Moretti."

"That wasn't a hobby," Dominic countered, leaning forward resting his forearms on the desk. "That was close-quarters tactical neutralization. The kind taught by elite military contractors and federal security details."

Anna met his gaze head-on, her dark eyes entirely devoid of fear or submissiveness. "When you spend years protecting people who can't protect themselves, you pick up certain skills. And when someone threatens my daughter, those skills tend to come back very quickly."

Dominic studied her face, a flicker of profound respect crossing his severe features. He poured a small measure of scotch into a clean glass and pushed it across the mahogany table toward her. She didn't touch it, but she acknowledged the gesture with a slight nod.

"Emily is safe," Dominic said quietly. "Her brother has been located and pulled out of harm's way. She’ll recover, and she will never have to worry about the Moretti family again."

"And the estate security?" Anna asked.

"Completely overhauled. Every digital node, every camera, every guard has been vetted and replaced." Dominic paused, his dark eyes locking onto hers with absolute intensity. "Which brings us to your position here."

Anna tilted her head slightly. "Am I fired for concealing my background?"

"Fired?" A faint, grim smile touched Dominic’s lips. "Mrs. Carter, you saved my son's life, you uncovered a treasonous plot within my own family, and you just took down a trained operative without breaking a sweat. If I fired you, I’d be the biggest fool in New York."

He stood up from his desk, walking slowly around the mahogany wood until he stood just a few feet away from her chair.

"I am officially naming you Director of Estate Security and Chief Household Protector," Dominic said, his tone carrying the weight of an unalterable decree. "Your salary will be quadrupled. Your quarters will be upgraded to the East Wing suite. And you will have absolute authority over every guard, chef, and employee who steps foot on this property."

Anna looked up at him, weighing the offer against the quiet life she had tried so desperately to build for Lily. But she knew the truth: the moment she walked away from Whitmore Estate, her past would catch up to her anyway. Here, she had the power, the resources, and a powerful ally to keep her daughter safe.

She stood up from the chair, extending her hand across the space between them.