Marrying a stranger was never part of Nadia Voss's plan. But when her father's company collapses overnight and the man holding the debt is the one person she despises most, she doesn't have many options left. Ethan Cole is ruthless, cold, and completely unbothered by what anyone thinks of him. He doesn't need a wife. But he needs something only Nadia's family name can give him, and a temporary marriage is the cleanest way to get it. The deal is simple. One year. Separate lives. No feelings. Nadia tells herself she can survive twelve months pretending to love a man she hates. She's survived worse. But Ethan isn't what she expected behind closed doors, and the more she sees, the harder it gets to remember why she despised him in the first place. Then the secrets start surfacing. About her father. About Ethan. About the night that started all of this. And Nadia realizes the contract she signed wasn't just a business arrangement. It was the beginning of something neither of them can walk away from.