The offer: One year of her life. The price: Her freedom. The cost: Her heart. Struggling artist Elara Vance is drowning. Her family's historic art gallery is months away from foreclosure. Out of options, she agrees to a scandalous deal with Damian Sterling—the city's most ruthless, cold, and reclusive billionaire. He needs a respectable wife to secure a critical business deal and appease his family. She needs his money to save her legacy. The rules of their contract are simple: One year. Public appearances only. Separate bedrooms. Absolutely no falling in love. But their marriage is strictly forbidden by society. His board of directors is horrified, and her family thinks she’s a sellout. Thrust into a world of glittering galas and high-stakes boardrooms, Elara discovers the man behind the icy façade. He's a man haunted by his past, who looks at her with a fire that has nothing to do with business. As their fake marriage begins to feel dangerously real, their carefully constructed walls crumble. But with the looming end of their contract and the secrets they both keep, can a love born from a lie survive the truth? Or will their forbidden passion burn everything to the ground?