--- ### *VERSION 1: Dark + Dangerous* She had 43 minutes until sunrise. And one choice that would cost her everything. Lisa Carter doesn’t believe in curses. She believes in hospital bills. When her little sister’s cancer treatment is about to be cut off over a $200,000 debt, Lisa will do anything to save her. Even if "anything" means walking into Blackthorn Manor at midnight. The note was simple: _Come. One choice. The crown will save her._ But the crown isn’t gold. It’s black iron. Wrapped in living thorns that breathe. And the voice that offers her a deal is worse. "Wear the crown for one year. Be my queen. And I will erase her debt." The dark king of Blackthorn is ancient, cruel, and devastatingly beautiful. His eyes are molten gold. His touch is ice. And the moment Lisa puts on the crown, she’s bound to him. The money hits her account instantly. Her sister will live. But now Lisa is trapped in a gothic manor where the roses are black, the walls whisper, and her new husband expects obedience. He says it’s only for a year. He says she’s safe. He’s lying. Because the crown didn’t just bond her to him. It woke something in the manor. Something hungry. And now the thorns want more than her obedience. They want her soul. *Enemies to lovers. Dark king. Gothic romance. One year. No escape.*