Cassian Velthorn was Cassian Velthorn was never meant to inherit. The spare heir. The forgotten prince. The one who survived palace whispers, poison, and being invisible. Until General Kael Draven offers him a contract. Fake marriage. Political protection. One year. Kael needs a royal name to secure his position. Cassian needs someone strong enough to keep him alive. It should be simple. Cold terms. No feelings. But Kael looks at him like he’s not spare at all. And Cassian… Cassian starts wanting the general’s warmth to be real. In a palace where trust kills and love is a weapon, one fake contract might be the most dangerous thing of all. Because when the year ends, Cassian doesn’t know if he’ll be free… Or if he’ll beg Kael to never let him go.

Prologue Do you know what men say after they rape you? "Is that it? Isn't this what you've been hiding from us? I've had it now! What's so special about it anyway?..." And many more. I've been raped countless times. Not because I enjoy it. Not because I want it. But because I can't do anything about it. Because I've been set up countless times. There's nothing I can do, that's what they say. Even the police ignore. But this wasn't the case. I didn't hear that this time. Instead, what I heard was , "I should've touched you first. I should have made you mine. Then no one would touch you again."