Six nurses had quit in five weeks, and one of them had left the mansion sobbing so hard she forgot her coat.

Six months later.

The summer sun shone bright and warm over the gardens of the Lake Forest estate. The heavy velvet curtains in the master bedroom had been permanently removed, replaced by sheer white linen that fluttered in the soft afternoon breeze.

Down on the green lawn, eleven-year-old Tommy was running after a golden retriever, his hair grown back full and dark, his laughter echoing across the manicured grass. He was completely in remission, his color healthy and vibrant.

I stood on the stone terrace, watching him with a cup of tea in my hand.

A pair of strong arms wrapped around my waist from behind.

Liam pressed his lips against the crown of my head, holding me flush against his broad chest. He no longer used a cane; his leg had healed completely, leaving only a faint limp when the weather turned cold.

“He’s fast,” Liam remarked softly, watching Tommy kick a soccer ball across the lawn.

“He’s alive because of you,” I said, leaning back against his chest, placing my hand over his where it rested against my waist.

“He’s alive because his sister was brave enough to face a monster in a dark room,” Liam corrected, turning me around in his arms to face him.

He wore a simple white linen shirt, his dark hair catching the golden sunlight. The cold, lethal mob boss who had thrown a glass at my head on my first night was still there, guarding his territory with an iron fist, but when he looked at me, his eyes held only infinite warmth.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box, opening it to reveal a simple, elegant diamond ring that caught the sunlight like fire.

“No contracts, Clara,” Liam said, his voice deep and full of raw sincerity. “No weekly payments. No rules about the blinds. Just you and me. Will you stay with me?”

I looked at the ring, then up into the blue eyes of the man who had given my brother a future and given me a love stronger than death.

“On one condition,” I smiled, tears of joy sparkling in my eyes.

He raised an eyebrow. “Name it.”