The Ruthless Mafia King’s Forbidden Healer: The Touch That Awoke His Frozen Heart

The aftermath in the ballroom was swift. The capos bowed their heads in unanimous submission, swearing new oaths of fealty to Sebastian Lombardi, whose miraculous recovery was now cemented into syndicate legend.

When the last capo departed, only Clare and Sebastian remained under the dimming chandeliers of the grand room.

Sebastian leaned slightly on his cane, the extreme physical exertion of the evening finally catching up to his healing nerves. A tremor ran through his left leg.

Clare stepped forward immediately, placing her shoulder beneath his arm to support him. “You overdid it. You shouldn't have walked that far without rest.”

Sebastian looked down at her, a soft, exhausted smile touching his lips. “I had to show them, Clare. I had to make sure no one would ever dare look at you or Oliver as a target again.”

“You risked your life,” she said, her voice catching with emotion.

“My life was meaningless until you walked into that clinic with your wet hands and stubborn eyes,” Sebastian murmured.

He dropped his cane. It clattered to the floor, forgotten.

He wrapped both arms around Clare’s waist, pulling her flush against his chest. Even without the cane, his feet were planted firmly on the earth, supported by the strength she had painstakingly restored to him.

Clare looked up into his eyes, her hands resting against his chest, feeling the steady, powerful rhythm of his heart.

“Sebastian...”

“I love you, Clare Bennett,” he said, his voice raw with a truth he had never spoken to another living soul. “I love your fierce courage, your brilliant mind, and the way you fight for those you care about. If you will have me, I want to spend the rest of my days making sure you and Oliver never have to fight alone again.”

Clare’s tears spilled over her cheeks, but this time they were tears of pure release and joy.