They Called Her Worthless Because She Couldn’t Have Children—Until a Mafia Boss With Four Kids Said, “I Want Her” They did not sell Nora Hayes because she was beautiful.

Nora and Leo rode back to the estate in complete silence.

When they walked through the front doors, Arthur was waiting in the foyer. His face was a mask of pure fury. His underboss had already informed him of the incident at the school.

“In my office. Now,” Arthur barked, glaring at his son.

Leo swallowed hard and followed his father. Nora trailed closely behind them, refusing to be left out.

The heavy doors of the study clicked shut.

“You broke protocol!” Arthur yelled, slamming his hand on the desk. “You do not engage with the Romanos in public! You do not throw punches like a street thug! Do you have any idea the position you put this family in?”

“He insulted Mom!” Leo yelled back, tears of frustration shining in his eyes. “He said you had to buy Nora because Mom got blown up! I wasn’t going to let him say that!”

Arthur froze. The anger drained from his face, replaced by a deep, agonizing pain.

“Leo...”

“Arthur, stop,” Nora stepped between them, shielding the boy. She looked fiercely at her husband. “He is fourteen years old. He defended his mother’s memory. You should be proud of him, not screaming at him.”

Arthur looked at Nora, shocked by her defiance. No one spoke to the boss of the Costa family like that.

“He compromised our security,” Arthur said, though his voice had lost its thunder.

“I handled the security,” Nora fired back. “I handled the headmaster, and I handled Julian’s mother. The Romanos look like fools, and your son stood his ground. Do not punish him for having a spine.”

Leo stared at Nora’s back. She was a woman who weighed a hundred and twenty pounds, standing between him and the most dangerous man in the city, completely fearless.

Arthur let out a long, heavy sigh. He looked at his son.

“Go upstairs, Leo. Have Mrs. Gable put ice on that nose.”

Leo nodded. Before he left the room, he paused by the door, looking back at Nora.

“Thanks,” he mumbled.

When the door clicked shut, Arthur looked at his wife. A slow, genuine smile spread across his face.

“You threatened to pull the athletic funding?”