"Three hours after I married Seattle’s most feared mafia boss, Aiden Chambers stood six feet from our wedding bed, his hands trembling, and told me I never had to let him touch me. Everyone in the city feared what those hands could do, but the shocking truth was that the ruthless crime lord was terrified of using them on me."

Aiden left the penthouse before sunrise every morning, surrounded by his security detail, returning late at night when the city was fast asleep. True to his word, Lily’s surgery had been successfully completed at Johns Hopkins by Wednesday morning, and my mother called me in tears of profound relief, telling me Lily was already sitting up in bed and asking for her coloring books.

My debt was paid. My family was safe.

Yet, I found myself wandering the cavernous, minimalist halls of the forty-second-floor penthouse, feeling like a ghost haunting a museum.

On Friday afternoon, the heavy mahogany front doors swung open, and Luca Moretti walked in.

Luca was Aiden’s second-in-command—a smooth-talking, razor-sharp enforcer with slicked-back dark hair and eyes that missed nothing. He dropped a thick stack of manila folders onto the marble foyer table and looked up to find me standing at the top of the floating staircase in a simple linen dress.

“Ah. Mrs. Chambers,” Luca greeted, offering a polite, albeit chilling, smile. “I trust the boss is treating you well? He hasn’t scared you off yet?”

“Mr. Chambers is... accommodating,” I replied carefully, walking down the steps.

Luca picked up a document from the stack. “He’s going to have to be more than accommodating tonight. We have the annual Waterfront Gala at the Grand Horizon Hotel. Every major capo, corrupt politician, and rival syndicate boss in the Pacific Northwest will be there. They’re all dying to see the mysterious nurse who managed to tame the ghost of Seattle.”

My stomach tightened. “A public event?”

“Mandatory,” Luca corrected smoothly. “The wolves smell blood whenever the pack leader shows weakness. They want to see if you’re a real wife or a convenient illusion. Dress sharply, Tessa. Tonight, you aren't just attending a party; you’re walking through a minefield.”

By 8:00 PM, I stood in front of the full-length mirror in my dressing room, staring at my reflection.

I wore a floor-length emerald-green silk gown that hugged my frame, its deep V-neckline offset by an understated diamond tennis bracelet Aiden had left on my vanity with a note that simply said: Wear this. It establishes authority.

Aiden walked into my suite without knocking, dressed in an immaculate custom tuxedo. His eyes swept over me, and for a fraction of a second, his breath caught in his throat.

“You look...” He cleared his throat, looking away quickly. “It will suffice. The syndicate will believe it.”

“Thank you,” I said dryly. “Your charm is overwhelming, Mr. Chambers.”

Aiden offered his right arm, keeping it slightly rigid, angled just right so I could slide my hand over his forearm without violating his unspoken boundaries.

“Remember,” Aiden whispered as we rode the private elevator down to the underground parking garage. “Tonight, people will try to test you. They will offer you drinks from strangers, ask intrusive questions about our wedding night, and try to touch your arm or shoulder to gauge our intimacy. Do not react. Let me handle them.”

“I’m a trauma nurse, Aiden,” I muttered, stepping out into the subterranean garage where a convoy of bulletproof black SUVs idled. “I’ve handled drunk, aggressive patients twice your size. A few mafia capos in expensive suits don't scare me.”