Chapter 7 - A Debt Repaid
By sunrise, the grand estate was quiet again. The corrupted guards were gone, the house was secured, and the true inner circle of Everett Kane’s syndicate had been restored to order.
I sat on the velvet sofa in the main drawing room, wrapped in a warm fleece blanket, staring out at the snow falling gently over the estate’s private gardens. The exhaustion of the past four days was finally catching up to me, pulling heavy at my eyelids.
The heavy wooden doors creaked open, and Everett walked in carrying two warm mugs of coffee. He had changed into a clean white shirt, his dark sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing the intricate tattoos lining his forearms.
He handed me a mug and sat down beside me, close enough that I could feel the radiant warmth of his body.
"I just spoke with the director of your mother's care facility," Everett said softly, taking a sip from his cup.
I looked up, my heart leaping into my throat. "Is she okay?"
"She is more than okay," Everett smiled genuinely—a real, breathtaking smile that transformed his entire harsh face. "I purchased the entire facility this morning. The land, the building, and the medical staff. Your mother has been moved to the executive suite, and her medical team has been expanded to include the top neuro-specialists in the country. Her bills are paid in full... forever."
Tears pricked the back of my eyes, hot and sudden. For three long years, I had carried the crushing weight of poverty, disgrace, and fear all by myself. Now, with a few words, this feared crime boss had lifted it all off my shoulders.
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"Thank you," I choked out, wiping a stray tear from my cheek. "You didn't have to do that."
"I protect what is mine," Everett said, his grey eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that made my heart hammer against my ribs. "And you, Clara, are my wife."
