The first scream ripped through the Rossi mansion so violently that I dropped the towel in my hands. “Harper!” five-year-old Finn cried from upstairs

The Lake Forest estate was nothing like the main mansion. Where the main house was grand, intimidating, and built for showing off power, the Lake Forest property was a secluded, timber-and-stone fortress hidden deep within fifty acres of private forest.

High stone walls surrounded the perimeter, manned by heavily armed men in dark tactical gear who didn't look like private security—they looked like soldiers.

When the Bentley pulled through the heavy iron gates, I saw Finn standing on the front porch wrapped in a oversized blanket, flanked by Mateo. The moment the car stopped, Finn broke away from Mateo and sprinted down the stone steps.

"Harper!" he screamed.

I threw open the car door and dropped to my knees on the gravel driveway just in time to catch him. He slammed into my chest, his small arms wrapping around my neck so tightly I could barely breathe.

"You came back! You came back!" he cried, burying his face in my neck.

"I promised you, didn't I?" I whispered, holding him close, burying my face in his soft hair. "I told you I'd see you after your appointment."

Victor stepped out of the car, standing beside us. He looked down at his son holding onto me, his expression unreadable, but the harsh lines around his eyes seemed to soften slightly.

"Inside. Both of you," Victor ordered gently. "It's cold out here."

The interior of the Lake Forest house was warm and grand, built with exposed timber beams, massive stone fireplaces, and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the dark forest. It felt less like a mob boss's lair and more like a sanctuary.

Mateo approached Victor in the great room, handing him a secure tablet. "The main estate is clear, boss. Moretti's men fled when our backup arrived. We took two of them alive. They're in the basement downtown."

"Good," Victor said coldly. "Tell the boys I'll be there in two hours to conduct the interrogation myself."

"Wait," I said, standing near the fireplace with Finn still clinging to my hand. "You're leaving?"

Victor turned to look at me. "I have business to settle."

"Victor, it's getting dark," I said, taking a step toward him. "You just survived an attack. You can't just go running into a war zone!"

"I don't run into war zones, Harper. I create them," Victor said flatly. "Moretti came into my home. He put my son in danger. He put you in danger. He doesn't get to breathe the same air as us by tomorrow morning."

Finn looked up, sensing the tension, his eyes widening with fear. "Dad? Are you going away?"

Victor froze. He looked at Finn, then at me. For the first time since I had known him, I saw a flicker of profound hesitation in his eyes. He didn't want to leave his son frightened, but his world demanded blood for blood.

"Finn," I said quickly, lowering myself to Finn's height. "Your dad has to go make sure the bad men don't come back. But he's going to come right back here when he's done. Right, Mr. Rossi?"

I looked up at Victor, my eyes silently pleading with him to give his son what he needed.

Victor slowly walked over, dropping to one knee in front of Finn. He reached out, his big, calloused hand cupping the side of Finn's face.

"I will always come back to you, Finn," Victor said softly, his voice full of an emotion he usually kept buried deep inside. "Always. Do you hear me?"

Finn nodded slowly, tears brimming in his eyes. "Check my shoes?"

A tiny, almost invisible smile touched Victor's lips. "I'll check your shoes at dawn. I promise."

Victor stood up, his eyes locking onto mine. "Mateo is staying here with twenty men. This perimeter is impenetrable. You are safe here, Harper."

He hesitated for a second, his hand moving as if he wanted to reach out to me, but he stopped himself, clenching his fist at his side instead.

"Take care of him," Victor whispered.

"Take care of yourself," I replied softly.

He turned and walked out the door, flanked by two armed guards, vanishing into the falling darkness.

That night, I put Finn to bed in a room that looked remarkably similar to his old one, complete with his favorite stuffed bear that Mateo had managed to rescue from the main house. I sat on the floor beside his bed, holding his small hand until his breathing became deep and rhythmic.

I didn't go to my own room. I dragged a heavy armchair over to the window, sat down with a warm blanket, and watched the dark treeline outside.

At 3:00 AM, the quiet of the estate was broken by the distant sound of a chopper hovering near the helipad behind the house.

I stood up, pulling the blanket around my shoulders, and walked down the dimly lit hallway toward the main entryway.

The heavy oak front doors opened, and Victor stepped inside.

He looked exhausted. His shirt was rumpled, his hair messy, and a dark cut ran along his left cheekbone. But he was walking on his own two feet.

He stopped when he saw me standing in the hallway.

"You're awake," he said softly, closing the door behind him.

"I couldn't sleep," I admitted, stepping closer to him in the dim light of the foyer lamps. "Did you... is it over?"

"Moretti won't be bothering us again," Victor said flatly, his tone leaving no doubt as to what that meant.

He took off his coat, tossing it onto a chair, and stepped toward me. He looked down at my face, his gray eyes searching mine in the quiet darkness of the house.

"Why are you still here, Harper?" he asked quietly. "After everything today. After the bullets, the men, the blood... why didn't you run when you had the chance?"