The spring sun over Chicago was warm, brilliant, and completely untainted by snow or smoke. The reconstruction of the Russo estate was finished, transforming the fortress-like mansion into a home filled with light, fresh flowers, and laughter.

In the sunlit conservatory overlooking the sprawling gardens, Tommy sat in a comfortable armchair, looking healthier and stronger than I had seen him in years, laughing as he played a game of chess against Marcus Sterling—who was currently losing miserably.

I stood by the French doors, wearing a soft ivory sundress, holding a cup of coffee while watching the morning breeze ripple through the manicured hedges.

Behind me, the familiar, heavy footsteps of the man who had changed my entire world echoed across the polished parquet floor.

Victor wrapped his arms around my waist from behind, resting his chin comfortably on my shoulder, inhaling the scent of my hair.

"You're daydreaming again," Victor murmured softly, pressing a warm kiss against the side of my neck.

"I'm not daydreaming," I smiled, leaning back against his chest. "I'm just enjoying the view. And marveling at the fact that my brother is actually beating your chief of security at chess for the third time this week."

"Marcus lets him win," Victor chuckled quietly. "He’s terrified Tommy will tell me he’s slacking off."

I turned around in his arms, wrapping my hands around his neck, looking up into those familiar, intense dark eyes that had once terrified me and now felt like home.

The corporate fallout after the siege had been swift and absolute. Richard Vance was currently awaiting trial in a federal penitentiary, the remnants of the old syndicate guard had been permanently dismantled, and Victor had restructured his entire corporate empire, turning his foundation into a massive philanthropic enterprise focused on medical research and community healthcare—including a permanent, fully endowed research wing named after Tommy at the hospital.

As for me, I wasn't a maid anymore. Nor was I just a billionaire’s girlfriend. I was a student back at Northwestern University, studying public policy, and a partner in building something real, honest, and unbreakable with the man who had once rejected every socialite in Chicago just to find someone who cared about more than his money.

"You know," Victor said, his expression turning serious as his fingers gently traced the line of my jaw, "there is still one rule in this household we haven't broken yet."

"Oh yeah?" I raised an eyebrow, smiling. "What's that?"

Victor reached into his pocket, pulled out a small velvet box, and opened it to reveal a ring sparkling brilliantly in the morning sunlight.

"The rule that says the billionaire’s maid isn't allowed to become the mistress of the estate."

My breath caught in my throat. "Victor..."

"I spent six years locking my heart behind iron gates, Bennett," Victor whispered, his voice thick with absolute devotion. "And then you walked in with a clearance-rack dress, a hundred-degree fever, and a stubborn refusal to be intimidated. Marry me, Bennett. Let me spend the rest of my life making sure you never have to fight the world alone again."

From across the conservatory, Tommy cleared his throat loudly, shouting, "Say yes, Nora! Otherwise, I'm moving back to the Oak Park apartment!"

Marcus burst out laughing, shaking his head.

I looked back at Victor, tears of pure happiness stinging behind my eyelids, and smiled through the blur.

"Yes," I whispered, pulling him down into a kiss. "Yes, I will."

Outside the glass doors, the Chicago skyline stretched endlessly toward a brilliant, cloudless sky, marking the beginning of a brand-new chapter where the shadows of the past finally gave way to a future that belonged entirely to us.