But when passion meets power, can their hearts survive the storm? The tiny gallery in the middle of town contains the very essence of Lila Carter. She envisions not simply painting-for-sale but rather a defense of a community, to protect her area from the ravages of unchecked capitalism. However, when a multi-million dollar development threatens the future of everything she has grown, she comes face to face with the man behind it—annoyingly arrogant and drop-dead gorgeous billionaire Ethan Hale. Ethan has come too far already to allow feelings to get in the way. His priority is results, not relationships—he’s the founder of Hale Industries. The art district became just another thing to own, another puzzle to solve. Not until Lila, ushering into his life a tempest of light and fire that he simply cannot push away. With her determination to save her gallery, the buyer could be taking on one of the most powerful men in the country. When their fierce arguments end in an unthinkable offer of joining forces to make something new, they must find a way. And with every passing day they spend in each other’s orbit, the more difficult it becomes to deny all the sparks flying between them. Inside that frozen heart of Ethan is a man with scars from battling demons, and what appears to be Lila’s stubborn exterior hides a woman miserable in the sorrow of not knowing whether she can trust again. Despite their walls cracking and the heat between them rising, Lila finds a technicality in their agreement that could destroy everything she has built—and shatter her heart as collateral damage. Betrayed and wanting to leave, but Ethan is not a man who gives up easily. He now has to prove that there is more than business that he wants and that the heart he keeps closely guarded beats for her. Rebuilding trust takes time, and with their pasts riding on their present freefalling into each other’s arms, they face the choice of if love is worth taking that leap. With a backdrop of ambition, art, and second chances, Beyond the Fortune is an intoxicating romance about the barriers we create to protect ourselves, which passions break through them—and the bravery it takes to heed your heart. Ideal for those who love slow-burn tension, smoldering chemistry, and messy but emotionally rich characters finding love where they least expect it