Apparently, ruining your own wedding in front of every Great House is “reckless.” In my defense, Marcus Hale brought another woman first. He called it strategy. The Council called it stability. My own House called it necessary.

They were never meant to fall in love.The marriage was a solution, carefully negotiated, clearly defined, and free of expectations. Friendship made the pretending easy. Detachment made it safe.But love doesn’t follow scripts.Sharing a name. A home. Quiet moments that linger too long. What began as an arrangement slowly becomes something neither of them planned for, or knows how to walk away from.When doubts surface and the past threatens to interfere, they must decide whether love that grows without permission is worth the risk.Because some stories aren’t written beforehand.They happen unscripted...and only make sense after.