she vanished eight years ago after the man she loved believed a devastating accusation against her without giving her a chance to explain—then returned to his grandfather’s funeral for one secret reason, bringing the seven-year-old son she had spent his entire life protecting. she was only feet from the exit when the crime boss stepped directly into her path and recognized her instantly. then his eyes dropped to the boy beside her—the same gray-green eyes staring back at him—and he asked one question she had dreaded for years: “how old is he?” when she answered “seven,” the most feared man in the room suddenly couldn’t hide what the math meant.

Riona froze completely as the massive shoulders of Aldrich Ferrante blocked her only path to the exit.

The crowd around them seemed to vanish into a blur of meaningless background noise.

He looked down at her with the same piercing gaze that had shattered her heart eight years ago.

For a fraction of a second, she saw a flicker of raw vulnerability break through his hardened mob boss exterior.

Then, his dark eyes slowly dropped to the small boy hiding behind her leg.

Anel stared back at the towering man with a quiet, observant intensity.

Aldrich's breathing stopped entirely.

He was looking directly into a miniature, flawless reflection of his own gray-green eyes.

The silence stretching between them felt heavier than the marble pillars of the ancient basilica.

"How old is he?" Aldrich asked, his voice a dangerously low gravel that commanded absolute truth.

Riona squeezed her son's hand, desperately wishing she could disappear into the stone floor.

"Seven," she answered, her voice barely above a fragile whisper.

The most feared man in Montreal suddenly closed his eyes as the devastating math clicked in his head.

He realized in that exact moment that she had been pregnant on the day he threw her out of his life.

Aldrich opened his eyes, and the vulnerability was instantly replaced by a terrifying, possessive fury.

He raised two fingers slightly into the air without ever looking away from Riona's pale face.

When my newborn 'passed away,' my mother-in-law leaned in and said

My Husband Left Me Alone in My Car While I Was in Labor

“You’re Dead When We Get Home,” He Snapped

The heavy wooden doors of the basilica were violently slammed shut and locked by his armed guards.

"No one is leaving this church," Aldrich commanded to the entire room.

Chapter 1 - The Collision