"I'm to pose as your guide, Aurora, not a f**k buddy." "Really? Even with that poking out in your pants?" she deadpanned. ★★★ Aurora Mikeal was only 19 when the news of her father's death reached her at her hostel. At first, it sounded like a story—an unbelievable one. Then it became true… a true story. She swallowed it down but refused to move on. Her mother had passed at her birth, and now the only friend she had known all her life was gone… just like that. Some family friends who came to visit tried their best to console her as she sat on the floor of the living room. The living room door opened, and a pair of long legs entered. Eyes turned toward the door, and gasps filled the room. Aurora was at first struck by the beauty before her, but the reaction of the people around already said a lot… Who’s he?! Millano Njemanz Cole. The name that ruled the city of Greece. The name only a few dared to mention. He strolled majestically toward the mourning Aurora, whose eyes were fixed on him. His aura was intoxicating yet commanding… and dark. He slipped a hand into his inner pocket and brought out an ID. "Millano. Mr. Mikeal’s best friend." "What??!" "No… wait… what… I—" "Miss Aurora." He drawled as he stepped back slightly, his eyes cold. "I like to be straightforward, and I dislike disobedience." "Who the hel—*" "From now on, I’m your new guide." Aurora scoffed in the most unbelievable way. "Guide, my foot. Who the f**k are you?" "Mr. Jarod." He whipped around, and Jarod entered with his box right where it should be. Her father’s lawyer?? "Miss Mikeal, your father wrote it down in his statement before his death. You’re to stay with Mr. Cole—" "Millano," a deep voice corrected, and it was clear Mr. Jarod fidgeted on the spot. "Mr. Millano here will be your new guide, and that… is for your safety." "He didn’t…" "This is bullshit!" "I’m not a goddamn baby to demand a babysitter—or whatever s**t you call it. I don’t need a guide!" Aurora yelled and turned toward the stairs. "It’s not a decision, Miss Aurora. It’s a command. And I made it clear—I hate disobedience." He deadpanned, and the room turned bloody cold. Aurora felt it—not just the icy voice, but what it did to her. No s**t! "Never!" Her voice filtered into the room, trying to sound bold, but it came out in a whisper, more like a subdued murmur. She cursed under her breath. "That’s it." With just two long strides, Millano reached her and lifted her onto his shoulder. "You!! Put me down! Now!" "Are you all just going to stand there while he takes me? I don’t even know him!!" "Shut up." "I won’t!" "Or I’ll spank your ass." He said it in a cool voice, and that did it—she went mute instantly. "I thought as much."

After a brutal heartbreak that left her questioning love itself, Annabelle Grant, a lifestyle blogger from Chicago, swore off men — and romance altogether. But when her best friend Laura insists she spend the holidays with her family in southern France, Annabelle reluctantly agrees. It’s supposed to be simple: rest, recover, recharge. No emotions. No attachments.Until she meets Brandon Pillar — Laura’s cousin, and one of Europe’s most feared yet magnetic hockey alphas.Tall. Controlled. Sinfully confident. With a voice that could melt frost and eyes that see through every wall she’s built.What begins as a polite introduction turns into something deeper — darker. The tension between them is palpable, the attraction intoxicating. Soon, Annabelle realizes this holiday isn’t about healing anymore — it’s about surrendering to something she doesn’t understand but can’t resist.But not everyone wants them together.Laura’s admiration for her cousin runs deeper than friendship allows. And when she allies with Frank, Annabelle’s manipulative ex, secrets begin to surface — secrets that could shatter everything.Brandon’s family isn’t easily convinced either. His mother disapproves. His fiancée arrives unannounced. His grandparents are torn between loyalty and affection for the woman warming their grandson’s heart.In a world where love is a luxury and power is everything, Annabelle must decide:Will she run again — or fight for the man who’s ready to rewrite her story under the French winter sky.---