“SLEEP BESIDE ME, I’LL PAY ANY PRICE,” THE MAFIA KING BEGGED THE HOMELESS NURSE—BUT WHEN SHE SAVED HIS HEART, HE CLAIMED HER BEFORE THE DOCTOR WHO RUINED HER LIFE

Within a week, Dileia’s life had assumed a strange, high-stakes routine. She spent her days managing Killian’s recovery, ensuring he didn't tear his stitches during his constant, intense phone calls with syndicates across the country. She also spent hours playing with Maya in the estate’s massive gardens. For the first time in years, Maya looked happy, her cheeks rosy and her laughter echoing through the halls.

But the peace was shattered on a Tuesday afternoon.

Marcus entered the study where Dileia was updating Killian’s chart. "Sir, we have a problem at the downtown clinic we fund. The medical board is conducting an unannounced inspection, led by the city's chief medical evaluator."

Killian didn't look up from his laptop. "Who is the evaluator?"

"Dr. Aldis Pike," Marcus replied.

Dileia dropped her pen. It rolled across the mahogany desk, clicking against a crystal paperweight. The name alone felt like a physical blow to her stomach.

Killian’s eyes immediately shifted to her. The relaxed, recovering patient vanished, replaced instantly by the cold, calculating Don who controlled Hadley. "Pike is expanding his reach. He’s trying to shut down my clinics to force the city to fund his new private pavilion at Mercy."

"He's using his political leverage," Dileia said, her voice shaking slightly. "He did the same thing to me. He threatens anyone who stands in the way of his prestige."

Killian stood up, adjusting his shirt. The wound was healing beautifully, thanks to her constant care, leaving a jagged silver scar across his ribs. He walked over to her, his massive frame casting a long shadow over her chair. He reached down, his thumb gently tracing her jawline, forcing her to look up into his steady gray eyes.

"Do you want him broken, Dileia?" he asked quietly. The question wasn't a boast; it was a simple, terrifying statement of capability.

"I want the truth," she said, her voice growing stronger as she looked at him. "I want the medical board to see what he actually is. He killed that patient, Killian. An old man named Mr. Abernathy. Pike signed off on a lethal dosage of potassium chloride because he was too arrogant to check the nurse's chart, and then he blamed me for the entry."

Killian’s expression turned to stone. "Marcus. Prepare the cars. Nurse Hartwell and I are going to visit the downtown clinic."