The Mafia Boss's High School Crush Treated Him in the ER—Then Whispered, Do You Remember Me?

That evening, Raymond took Naomi to an exclusive rooftop restaurant overlooking the glittering Chicago skyline in River North.

The entire restaurant had been cleared—no other guests, no press, only soft candlelight, a violin player near the glass balcony, and a table set with fresh white roses.

Naomi sat across from Raymond, sipping vintage red wine, wearing a breathtaking emerald silk dress he had bought her in Paris.

"You rented the entire restaurant?" Naomi teased gently, looking around the empty, magnificent room.

"I didn't rent it," Raymond smiled, taking a slow sip of his scotch. "I bought it three days ago. I wanted us to eat without Marcus breathing down my neck."

Naomi laughed—a rich, beautiful sound that filled the night air.

Raymond reached across the white tablecloth, taking her small hand in his large, calloused palm, his thumb tracing the platinum ring he had given her earlier that week.

"Ten years ago," Raymond said softly, his gray eyes locking onto hers with absolute sincerity, "I sat behind that high school building bleeding, thinking that the world was just a dark cage where the strong ate the weak."

He looked out at the glittering lights of the city he now ruled.

"And then a girl with dark eyes handed me a handkerchief," Raymond whispered, looking back at her. "And I realized the world was worth fighting for."

Naomi’s dark eyes shone with tears of joy. She squeezed his hand tightly, leaning across the table to press a tender kiss against his scarred cheek.