She takes a job as a maid for her mother at a mafia boss's mansion in Chicago—at midnight, the boss discovers a secret about her body that makes him unable to take his eyes off her

A week passed.

The Moretti estate had transformed into a fortress. Rhett had doubled the guard on the gates, and Clara Carter was recovering rapidly in the sunny second-floor suite, treated like royalty by the staff who had once been her peers.

For Lena, life had changed entirely. She no longer wore the gray maid's uniform. Rhett had clothes delivered from the finest boutiques on Michigan Avenue—soft cashmere sweaters, silk dresses, and tailored coats that fit her perfectly.

Yet, despite the luxury, Lena felt a growing restlessness.

She stood in the estate's vast conservatory, looking out at the snow-covered gardens.

Heavy footsteps sounded behind her. Rhett stepped into the glass room, wearing his dark suit, his coat folded over his arm.

"You look distant today," Rhett said, stepping behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"I'm a nurse, Rhett," Lena said softly, leaning back against his chest. "I spent four years training to help people. Now I sit in a golden palace, drinking tea while your guards watch my every move."

Rhett stayed silent for a moment, smelling the sweet scent of floral soap in her hair. "It’s dangerous out there right now, Lena. The Castigliones know you're here."

"Because of me?" she asked, turning in his arms to face him. "Or because of what happened three years ago?"

"Both," Rhett admitted, his dark eyes hardening. "Leo Castiglione thinks he can use you to get to me. He doesn't understand that if he touches a single hair on your head, I will burn his entire syndicate to the ground."

Lena reached up, resting her hand on his cheek. "I don't want you to burn anything for me, Rhett. But I can't stay locked in this house forever. My mother is safe now, but I have a life to live."

Rhett looked at her fierce, independent spirit. He knew he could keep her locked away in his estate, safe from the world. But he also knew that doing so would break the very thing he loved about her.

"Dr. Vance runs a private clinic downtown," Rhett said slowly. "It’s funded by my family for people on the South Side who can't afford hospital bills."

Lena’s eyes lit up with sudden hope. "A clinic?"

"If you want to work there, I’ll allow it," Rhett said, a soft smile appearing on his stern face. "Under one condition."

"What condition?"