The mansion rose above the mountainside like a fortress—stone walls, ten-foot gates, clipped hedges, and not a single flower anywhere. My car coughed once after I killed the engine, then died like it had finally given up on me too.

Four days passed in a blur of sterile gauze, strict medication schedules, and quiet, intense conversations.

Under my care, Dominic’s recovery was nothing short of miraculous. His fever never returned, the swelling around his collarbone completely disappeared, and the angry red streaks on his chest faded into faint pink lines.

By Sunday evening, he was out of bed, sitting at the large mahogany desk in the corner of his bedroom, wearing a tailored black shirt with the right sleeve rolled up, reviewing thick stacks of financial ledgers and shipping manifests.

I sat in the armchair across the room, filling out his daily medical charts.

The mansion was still quiet, but the heavy, suffocating atmosphere of death that had hung over the estate when I arrived was gone. Leo moved through the halls with a renewed sense of purpose, and two heavy security guards were stationed discreetly outside the master suite at all times.

“You’re squinting,” Dominic said suddenly without looking up from his papers.

I blinked, raising my eyes from my clipboard. “What?”

“You’re squinting at the light,” he repeated, leaning back in his leather executive chair, his dark eyes locking onto me. “You’ve been doing it for twenty minutes. You need glasses.”

“I don't need glasses,” I lied, setting my pen down. “I’m just tired.”

Dominic reached into his desk drawer, pulled out a small black velvet box, and slid it across the polished wood toward me.

I frowned, looking at the box, then at him. “What’s this?”

“Open it.”

I stood up, walked over to his desk, and picked up the box. I snapped the latch open.

Inside rested a stunning, delicate silver wristwatch with a face made of mother-of-pearl, surrounded by tiny, sparkling diamonds. It was elegant, timeless, and clearly worth thousands of dollars.

I immediately closed the lid and set it back on his desk. “No.”

Dominic’s eyebrows pulled together. “No?”

“I told you, Dominic, I’m being paid for my nursing services,” I said firmly. “I accepted the cash advance for my work. I am not taking expensive jewelry from you.”

“It’s not a payment, Nora,” Dominic said, his voice dropping into a low, smooth cadence that sent a strange warmth humming through my veins. “It’s a gift. A gesture of gratitude from a man who is still breathing because of you.”

“I don't need diamond watches to do my job.”

“It’s not just diamonds,” he said, leaning forward, resting his elbows on the desk, his massive frame radiating that intense, magnetic energy that made it impossible to look away. “Look at the back.”

I hesitated, then picked up the velvet box again. I lifted the watch out of its velvet casing and turned it over.

Engraved on the polished silver backing were four simple words in clean, elegant script:

To Nora. Rule Number Two.

A faint, involuntary smile tugged at the corner of my lips before I could stop it.

I looked up to find Dominic watching me intently, his dark eyes searching my face, taking in every line, every expression, every heartbeat.

“You’re a deeply frustrating man, Dominic Rossi,” I whispered.

“And you’re the most stubborn woman in the state of Massachusetts,” he countered softly, a rare, genuine warmth softening the hard angles of his face. “Put the watch on, Nora.”

I slipped the watch onto my left wrist. The cool metal fit perfectly against my skin, looking absurdly luxurious against the faded fabric of my blue hospital scrubs.

Before I could say another word, the heavy double doors of the bedroom burst open without a knock.

Leo rushed into the room, his face pale, his hand resting tightly on the grip of his gun.

“Boss,” Leo said quickly, his voice laced with urgent tension. “We have a problem at the front gate.”

Dominic’s posture transformed instantly. The warmth disappeared from his eyes, replaced in a split second by the cold, lethal steel of the mafia lord.

“Speak,” Dominic commanded.

“It’s Marco Moretti,” Leo said, his breath coming fast. “He’s at the main entrance with four armored SUVs and twelve armed men. He’s claiming he received word that you died of your injuries three days ago, and he’s demanding to see your body to verify the Rossi family leadership.”

My stomach dropped into a bottomless pit.

Marco Moretti. The man who had paid Dr. Vance to poison Dominic’s wound.

Dominic stood up slowly from his desk. He didn't rush. He didn't panic. He straightened the collar of his black shirt, pulled a heavy, matte-black Sig Sauer pistol from his desk drawer, and checked the chamber with a crisp, metallic click.

“Marco thinks he’s coming to claim my territory,” Dominic said, his voice dangerously quiet.

“Boss, you’re not fully healed,” Leo warned, taking a step forward. “If there’s a firefight at the gate, your shoulder—”

“My shoulder is fine,” Dominic snapped, stepping out from behind his desk. He turned his eyes toward me.

I stood by the armchair, my heart hammering against my ribs, fear gripping my throat like a vice. I knew what happened when mob wars broke out. People died. Innocent people caught in the crossfire died even faster.

Dominic stepped up to me, his tall frame towering over mine. He reached out with his left hand, his thumb gently catching my chin, lifting my face so I had no choice but to look straight into his dark, fierce eyes.

“Stay in this room, Nora,” he commanded softly, his voice a steady anchor in the sudden storm. “Lock the door behind us. Do not open it for anyone except Leo or me. Do you understand?”

“Dominic...” my voice trembled slightly. “He brought twelve men.”

A cold, terrifying smile touched Dominic’s lips—the smile of a predator who had finally lured his enemies into his hunting ground.

“Then twelve men are about to find out that I’m very much alive,” he whispered.

He pressed his thumb gently against my cheek, a gesture so unexpectedly tender it made my breath catch, then turned on his heel and walked out the door, with Leo right at his back.

The heavy oak doors slammed shut behind them.

I didn't hesitate. I ran to the double doors, turned the brass deadbolt with a sharp click, and stepped back into the quiet, dark room.

I stood there in the middle of the master suite, listening to the silence of the massive mansion.