llSend the Ugly One, He'll Reject Her! They Laughed — But the Mafia Boss Was Speechless!

Two months later, the first snow of winter began to blanket the city of Boston.

The old Jones Financial headquarters had been completely rebranded as A.V. Moretti Holdings—a specialized forensic financial firm dedicated to investigating corporate fraud and recovering assets for victimized workers and small investors. Adelaide sat in the corner executive suite on the top floor—the very office her father had once occupied—looking out over the snow-covered skyline of the city.

Her desk was clean, organized, and topped with high-end financial monitors. On the wall behind her hung a large, beautiful black-and-white photograph of her mother—a picture she had finally retrieved from the Chestnut Hill attic before the estate was auctioned off to pay Jones Financial’s lower-tier employees their back wages.

A soft knock came at her office door.

"Come in," Adelaide called out.

Mateo walked inside, carrying two dark coffee cups from the small bakery down the street that Adelaide favored. He was dressed in his signature dark suit, looking as formidable as ever, though the cold, distant edge in his eyes softened the moment he looked at her.

"How are the morning reports looking, Director?" Mateo asked, setting one of the coffee cups on her desk before leaning against the edge of the wood.

"We just finalized the distribution of the liquidation funds for the Jones Financial pension plan," Adelaide said, a warm, genuine smile lighting up her face. "All forty-two former administrative staff members received their full pensions, plus interest."

"Good," Mateo said quietly. "And what about the criminal proceedings?"

"Rockford accepted a plea deal this morning," Adelaide revealed, looking down at a legal memo on her desk. "Five years at a minimum-security facility in Vermont for corporate tax evasion. Evelyn received three years probation and community service, and Chloe was ordered to pay restitution for the kickback scheme or face eighteen months in county jail. They're currently renting a small two-bedroom apartment in South Boston."

Mateo watched her closely. "Does it hurt? Seeing them fall so completely?"

Adelaide thought about the question for a moment. She looked at the photograph of her mother on the wall, and then back to Mateo.

"No," she said honestly. "What hurts is realizing I spent fifteen years hoping they would love me if I just worked hard enough, stayed quiet enough, or fixed enough of their mistakes. I don't feel anger toward them anymore, Mateo. I just feel nothing. They are ghosts from a life I’ve outgrown."

Mateo walked around the desk, stopping right behind her chair. He placed his broad hands gently on her shoulders, leaning down until his lips were near her ear.

"Then it’s time we focus entirely on the life you're building now," he whispered.

He pulled a small, velvet-lined box from his jacket pocket and placed it gently on the desk in front of her.

Adelaide’s breath caught in her throat. She looked at the box, and then up at Mateo’s dark, steady eyes.