Lila Voss returns to her childhood home only to find her world in ruins: her grandmother lies terminally ill, her father has gambled away their fortune, and a deranged ex-fiancé named Xavier is blackmailing her into marriage. To save her grandmother’s life, she strikes a desperate deal with Killian Hart—the enigmatic tycoon whose name alone makes the city’s elite tremble.
Their arrangement is cold, transactional: her compliance for his money. But one reckless night shatters the balance, leaving Lila with a secret that could unravel everything—she’s carrying Killian’s child.
Killian is a storm in a tailored suit: ruthless in business, icy to strangers, and utterly perplexed by Lila’s stubborn resilience. He offers her a gilded cage in his mansion, expecting a docile pawn to satisfy his meddling grandmother. Instead, he gets a firebrand who defies his control, outwits his enemies, and hides more secrets than he can fathom.
As Lila navigates Killian’s world of cutthroat rivals and family treachery—including his scheming stepsister Sylvia—she must also guard her own: a past as a skilled operative in the shadows. Killian, meanwhile, finds himself drawn to the woman he intended to use, his icy armor cracking every time she outmaneuvers his foes or challenges his rules.
When Xavier’s threats escalate and Sylvia plots to claim Killian for herself, the two are forced into an uneasy alliance. Killian’s possessiveness turns to protectiveness, and Lila starts to wonder if the beast of a man might have a heart worth trusting.
“Your grandmother’s care, your freedom, this child—all of it’s mine to protect,” Killian growls, his grip on her wrist a promise, not a threat. “But don’t mistake this for mercy. I always collect what I’m owed.”
Lila thought she’d sold her soul for survival. But in Killian’s tangled web of power and passion, she might just find something worth fighting for—even if it means surrendering the very walls she built to survive.
