A dangerous mission. A forbidden attraction. A love that was never meant to happen. Ares Norcross never expected to fall into the hands of the most terrifying man in the empire. When his younger sister mysteriously disappears near the legendary Grey Iron Castle, all clues point toward one person—the infamous Duke Garrick Valerius. Known as the “Golden Duke,” Garrick is wealthy beyond imagination, powerful enough to influence the entire empire, and feared for his cold personality and ruthless reputation. Rumors say he is cursed. Rumors say he is creating the legendary Philosopher’s Stone. Rumors say he will do anything to obtain eternal life. Desperate to find his missing sister, Ares abandons his peaceful life as a university professor and enters the duke’s castle under a false identity—as a private tutor for Garrick’s two troublesome nephews. His plan is simple: Gain the duke’s trust. Discover the truth. Rescue his sister. Leave without looking back. But Garrick Valerius is not the monster Ares imagined. Behind the cold mask is a lonely man burdened by an ancient family curse. Behind the terrifying golden eyes is someone who has spent his entire life waiting for a person who would see him—not his wealth, not his title, but his true self. And that person is Ares. The red-blooded scholar who dares to challenge nobles. The gentle teacher who wins the hearts of two rebellious heirs. The only person brave enough to stand before the Golden Duke and refuse to bow. Slowly, the line between deception and affection begins to disappear. Ares came to the castle pretending to care. But Garrick begins to care for real. When the truth finally comes out, the fragile trust between them shatters. The man who once protected Ares becomes the man who refuses to let him go. The duke who never believed in love becomes obsessed with the one person who betrayed him. “You said you loved me.” “Then don’t even think about leaving.” Ares thought he was using the duke. He never expected to become the only thing the duke could not lose. In a world ruled by bloodlines, magic, and power, can a love born from deception survive? Or will the Golden Duke’s obsession consume them both?