HER STEPFAMILY SOLD HER IN THE RAIN TO PAY THEIR DEBT—UNTIL THE MOST FEARED MAFIA BOSS WRAPPED HIS COAT AROUND HER AND SAID, “SHE LEAVES HERE AS MY WIFE”

The interior of Villa Costa was a breathtaking display of dark elegance—polished mahogany floors, vaulted ceilings, golden chandeliers, and ancient oil paintings lining the walls. Yet, despite its luxury, the house carried a heavy, guarded silence.

An elderly woman with gray hair pulled into a neat bun stepped into the foyer, holding a tray with warm towels and a silk robe.

"This is Rosa," Gabriel said as he unbuttoned his vest. "She manages the house. She answers only to me... and now, to you."

Rosa bowed her head respectfully toward Nora, her warm brown eyes filled with soft, maternal sympathy. "Good evening, ma'am. I have prepared the master suite's bath for you. Fresh clothes are in the wardrobe."

"Thank you," Nora murmured, her voice tight with exhaustion.

Gabriel turned to Leo. "Call Dr. Vance. Have him check her hands and feet. Make sure she isn't suffering from hypothermia."

"Right away, boss," Leo replied, nodding before disappearing down the hallway.

Gabriel looked back at Nora, his expression softening slightly as he noticed her leaning against the archway, her knees buckled from sheer fatigue. Without a word of warning, he stepped forward, scooped her up into his arms, and carried her effortlessly up the grand marble staircase.

Nora gasped, instinctively wrapping her arms around his neck. "I can walk..."

"You're exhausted," Gabriel said simply, his long strides covering the hallway. "And you're bleeding through your shoes."

He carried her into a massive bedroom featuring a king-sized bed wrapped in dark silk, a roaring stone fireplace, and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the ocean storm outside. He set her down gently on a velvet chaise lounge near the fire.

"Rosa will help you wash," Gabriel said, standing tall above her. "Eat the soup on the table. Sleep. We will talk in the morning."

He turned to leave, but Nora’s hand reached out, her fingers catching the hem of his dark shirt.

Gabriel stopped, looking down over his shoulder.

"Diane..." Nora hesitated, her eyes wide with lingering anxiety. "She... she won't come back, will she? She won't try to take me back?"

A dark, lethal smile touched the corners of Gabriel’s lips.

"Diane is currently celebrating her windfalls in a low-end casino," Gabriel replied, his voice dropping into a dangerous whisper. "She thinks she won. She doesn't realize that by selling you to me, she placed herself under my surveillance. If she ever steps within fifty feet of you again, I will have her thrown into the harbor."