Lucien Ashcroft doesn’t believe in love.He believes in power. In control. In contracts signed in ink and sealed in silence.When his dying grandmother gives him an ultimatum—marry within six months or lose his billion-dollar empire—Lucien does what he does best.He drafts a contract.Elara Voss never intended to fall at the feet of a billionaire. She only wanted money—enough to save her brother’s life. When Lucien offers her a deal that could solve all her problems, she signs without reading the fine print.Rule #1: No falling in love.Rule #2: No defiance.Rule #3: He owns her time, her presence… and her obedience.What begins as a cold arrangement soon turns into something far more dangerous. Because Lucien doesn’t just want a wife on paper—he wants control over her body, her mind, her surrender.And Elara?She refuses to break.But in a world of luxury, secrets, and obsession, the line between protection and possession blurs. The deeper she falls into his gilded cage, the more she realizes—The contract was never the trap.Lucien Ashcroft was.In this dark, intoxicating romance, love is not gentle…It’s claimed.