The Magnificent Mile pulsed with the energy of a Saturday afternoon, its sidewalks crowded with shoppers and the air alive with the hum of chatter and car horns. Sayrn Sauns navigated the bustling street alongside Mia Torres, her fellow ER nurse and confidante, their arms laden with shopping bags from a morning of retail therapy. At twenty-eight, with her RN degree earned earlier this year, Sayrn was used to the controlled chaos of Chicago General’s ER—blood, trauma, split-second decisions—but today was a rare escape, a chance to laugh and forget the weight of Daniel Isiah’s world. Her chestnut hair was loose, catching the autumn sunlight, her navy sweater and jeans comfortable yet stylish, a nod to the confidence she’d gained living in Daniel’s penthouse, stitching up his men, and embraci
