They said the war destroyed him. They were wrong—it made him dangerous.When my parents died, I had one choice: marry the scarred war hero they call "the Monster" or watch my brother lose everything. Valentino Gravesend—disfigured, broken, hiding behind a silver mask—was supposed to be my salvation.But the moment I arrived at Gravesend Manor, I knew I'd walked into something far darker than a simple marriage of convenience.Valentino barely speaks. Barely exists. He's a ghost haunting his own home, consumed by secrets and pain.His brother Nicholas? He's all charm and golden smiles. Perfect. Attentive. *Obsessed.*And he looks at me like I'm something he's been waiting for his entire life.The Duke says Valentino is no longer worthy of being called his son. The servants whisper about castration and madness. Nicholas watches me with hungry eyes.But when I hear Valentino's agonized groans echoing through the darkness, when I see what's really happening behind closed doors—I realize the real monster in this house isn't the one wearing the mask.He's the one wearing the smile.