2.He Found His Maid Freezing in the Snow During Christmas Dinner — But When the Mafia Boss Saw His Fiancée’s Diamond Ring Still on Her Finger, He Ended the Wedding, Exposed the Trap...

Six months later, the Chicago snow had completely melted, replaced by the vibrant green of a late spring. The iron gates of the Hawthorne estate were open, the dark, foreboding atmosphere of the past winter entirely gone. The mansion had been renovated; the heavy crimson drapes had been replaced with soft, cream-colored linen, allowing the warm morning sun to flood the marble corridors.

Hawthorne Logistics had completed its transition into a legitimate global shipping conglomerate. The federal investigations had been dropped, and the family name was now associated with corporate philanthropy rather than back-alley executions.

Lily stood in the center of the eastern garden, beside the stone fountain. The water was flowing beautifully now, splashing into a clean marble basin, surrounded by rows of fresh white roses that smelled of sweet rain.

She wore a simple, elegant yellow sundress, her hair flowing loose over her shoulders. Her hands were completely healed, the scars from the freezing night and the Cicero ropes fading into faint, silver lines.

Emma walked out onto the terrace, holding a tray of fresh lemonade, her face bright and full of health. "Lily! The caterers just arrived. They need your final approval on the seating arrangements for the evening gala."

"I'll be right there, Emma," Lily called back, her voice full of a genuine, easy joy.

A pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist from behind, pulling her back against a broad, solid chest. Adrian kissed the top of her shoulder, his breath warm against her skin. He wore a simple white linen shirt and light trousers, looking completely recovered from the gunshot wound that had nearly taken his life.

"You look beautiful today, my love," Adrian murmured, his hands resting gently over her stomach.

"I was just remembering how this fountain looked six months ago," Lily said, turning around in his arms to look up into his face. "It was so cold, Adrian. I really thought I was going to die out here."

Adrian’s expression turned serious, his thumb tracing her jawline with a deep, permanent reverence. "The day I found you in the snow was the day my life actually began, Lily. I thought I was saving a maid. It turned out you were the one pulling me out of the frost."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, velvet box. He opened it to reveal a simple, delicate gold band set with a single, flawless emerald—the color of the spring grass beneath their feet. There were no diamonds. There was no history of blood or cartel deals attached to it. It was new, pure, and clean.