One brother's escape became the other's arranged marriage.༄.°On her wedding day, Fiona Blake was left waiting. For a young woman who had always felt unseen, her worth measured by the weight on the scale and the insecurity in her heart, the abandonment was a devastating confirmation of her deepest fears. The groom was gone, and with him, her fragile dreams. To mend the scandal, his powerful family made a cold offer. She would marry their eldest son instead.Silas King entered her life like a winter storm, all sharp edges, cold looks, and a temper that frightened everyone. He was a man of business, not love, and Fiona prepared her heart for a lifetime of quiet loneliness in their marriage of convenience.But slowly, she began to see another man. The one whose harsh words shielded her from gossip. The one whose rage at the world never turned toward her. To everyone else, he was ice. But when he looked at her, Fiona felt the first, fragile warmth of a sun she never expected.She was given to him as a duty. The real question became, what would he do with her now that she felt like a gift?

Ava is a quiet, strong single mother raising her little boy all on her own. No one knows who the father is, and Ava never talks about the past. She’s just trying to give her son a peaceful life, far away from the city that broke her.Three years ago, she fell for a man she shouldn’t have—Darian Wolfe, the cold-hearted CEO known for playing with people’s lives. What she thought was love turned out to be nothing but a cruel bet. Heartbroken and humiliated, Ava walked away without a word, carrying a secret that changed her life forever.Now, Darian is back… and so is the pain. But Ava is no longer the naïve girl he once used. And this time, she’s not just protecting her heart—she’s protecting her child.