They hunted a wounded stranger through the rain, never realizing he had crawled into my little diner with two babies strapped to his chest. By sunrise, I discovered the man I had risked everything to save wasn't an ordinary victim—he was the most feared crime boss in Boston, and protecting his children instantly made me his enemies' next target.

The next night, the Berkshire estate fell into a tense, agonizing silence.

At 8:00 PM, Viktor, Elena, and twenty tactical operators departed in a convoy of armored vehicles, heading east toward Quincy to end the war.

I remained in the mountain lodge with four heavy security guards stationed around the perimeter.

I couldn't sleep. I spent the entire night pacing the grand living room, holding my mother's silver rosary in one hand and my phone in the other, waiting for a signal that never came.

At 3:00 AM, the satellite comms terminal in the library chimed.

I sprinted into the room, snatching the headset off the desk.

"Viktor?!" I cried out.

"Maya," Elena’s voice came through the speaker—heavy, panting, and accompanied by the distant sound of blaring sirens and crackling flames. "It's over."

My heart stopped. "Is Viktor okay?!"

"He's alive," Elena reported, a breathless laugh escaping her lips. "Leo tried to set off an explosive trap at the compound, but Viktor anticipated it. Leo’s men surrendered twenty minutes ago. Leo... didn't survive."

I collapsed into the leather office chair, weeping tears of overwhelming relief. "And Viktor? Is he hurt?"

"A minor shoulder graze, but he refused to let the medics touch him until he speaks to you," Elena said. "Put the screen on."

A second later, the high-definition video feed on the library wall flickered to life.

Viktor stood in the rain outside his burning Quincy compound. His face was smudged with soot, his coat torn, but his amber eyes were bright, fierce, and filled with an undeniable triumph.

"Maya," Viktor spoke into his radio headset, his voice echoing through the speakers in the library.

"You came back," I sobbed, smiling through my tears at the screen.

"I told you I would," Viktor smiled—a brilliant, breathtaking smile that lit up his dark features. "The city is clear, Maya. The corruption charges against you have been completely dropped by the federal prosecutor. Your name is clean."

"When are you coming home?" I asked, using the word home without even realizing it.