They Humiliated the Plus-Size Baker in Front of Five Hundred Guests, but the Korean Mafia Boss Watching from the Shadows Had Already Made His Decision

Two years passed. Golden Hearth Bakery had expanded into three locations across Chicago, providing jobs and culinary training to youth from disadvantaged backgrounds, fulfilling a dream Maggie and Ruth Ellis had always shared. Maggie was now a recognized name in the culinary world, frequently featured in magazines not just for her story, but for her undisputed talent.

And through it all, Elias Han remained by her side—her fiercest protector and her greatest love. The criminal underworld knew better than to cross Elias, but those closest to him knew that his heart belonged entirely to the baker from the South Side.

On a crisp autumn afternoon, Maggie was working at the original South Side location, teaching a group of young apprentices how to pipe sugar roses.

The bell chimed, and the room grew quiet as Elias walked in. He wasn't wearing his usual suit; he wore a simple black sweater and jeans, looking relaxed and deeply content.

He walked over to the counter, watching Maggie finish a rose.

"You're getting better at those," he joked softly.

"I’ve had plenty of practice," she smiled, quoting the words Sloane had once used to hurt her, now turning them into a badge of honor.

Elias reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, velvet box. The apprentices gasped, Noah dropping his spatula in the background.

Elias knelt on one knee on the flour-dusted floor, looking up at Maggie with an expression of pure, unadulterated devotion.

"Maggie Hayes," Elias said, his voice steady but full of emotion. "You brought sweetness into a life that was full of bitterness and shadows. You showed me what true strength looks like. I don't want to rule this city alone. Will you marry me?"

Tears of joy filled Maggie’s eyes as she looked down at the man who had seen her value when the world tried to blind itself. She didn't hesitate.