"1My hands were shaking so badly I nearly dropped the pregnancy test onto the bathroom floor, because those two pink lines didn’t just mean I was pregnant. They meant I was carrying the child of Alessandro Vitali, one of the richest and most powerful billionaires in Chicago, and if he discovered the truth, I had no idea whether he would protect me or destroy me.

Liam was released from the estate's security quarters, given a high-end apartment in downtown Chicago paid for three years in advance, and secured with a private detail to keep him safe from the O’Malley syndicate. My diner uniform was burned, my student loans were paid off in a single bank transfer, and three private OB-GYN specialists were brought directly to the estate's private medical wing to confirm what we already knew.

Six weeks pregnant. Healthy. Growing.

"You're pacing again," Alessandro’s voice broke the silence of the sunlit glass conservatory.

I turned around to see him leaning against the archway. He had traded his usual sharp charcoal business suit for a soft cashmere sweater, though his imposing posture remained unchanged.

"I'm not used to doing nothing, Alessandro," I said, looking down at my hands. "For eighteen months, every second of my day was calculated to survive. Now I have servants asking me what color orchids I want in my sitting room."

"You don't have to be idle, Elizabeth," he said softly, walking over to stand beside me, his eyes searching mine. "Your enrollment at the university nursing program has been transferred to a private honors track. Tutors will come here whenever you feel well enough. You won't abandon your dreams."

I looked up at him, caught off guard by the genuine thoughtfulness in his offer. "Why are you doing all of this? The ring, the estate, the tutors... You could have just paid off my father's debt and set up a trust fund for the baby."

Alessandro stepped closer, reaching out to tuck a loose strand of hair behind my ear. His touch was warm, sending a quiet electric spark through my veins.

"Because a trust fund doesn't keep you safe," he murmured, his thumb brushing over my jawline. "And because the moment I saw those two lines on your medical report, the idea of you being anywhere else in the world except by my side became entirely unacceptable."

Before I could answer, the door to the conservatory clicked open. Frank, Alessandro’s head of security, stepped in, his expression grim.

"Mr. Vitali. We have a situation."

Alessandro’s posture instantly shifted back to the cold titan. "Speak."

"Marcus Vance was picked up by the police an hour ago, but he was posted bail almost immediately," Frank reported quickly. "Someone high up in the city judiciary pulled strings. Worse, the O'Malley syndicate just filed a formal lien against your public real estate developments, claiming your late father-in-law's debts give them legal right to claim a stake in the Vitali Harbor Project."

My breath hitched. "My father's debts... they're trying to drag you down with me."

Alessandro didn't flinch. A dark, terrifying smile touched the corner of his lips. "They think a dirty paper trail gives them leverage over a Vitali. They're mistaken." He looked at Frank. "Call the board. Tell them we are accelerating the public announcement of my engagement to Elizabeth Vance."

"Alessandro, no!" I stepped forward, panic rising in my chest. "If you announce our engagement, the media will tear my life apart! They'll find out about my father, about the loans, about everything!"

Alessandro took both of my hands in his, his amber eyes burning with an unshakeable confidence. "They will try, Elizabeth. But in Chicago, my word is law. By announcing you as my future wife, your father's debts become my personal matter. Anyone who tries to collect from you will be fighting the entire Vitali financial war chest. I am putting my shield over you, publicly and permanently."