One act of mercy. One impossible lie. One ultimate betrayal.
Rana lives a life of quiet shadows in the kingdom of Paishalom—until she finds a wounded man dying in the dust. By opening her door and offering him shelter, she commits a forbidden act of mercy. She has no idea that the man she is nursing back to life is the most dangerous man in the realm: Prince Aren, a royal forged in cold ambition.
To settle his debt, Aren whiskes Rana away to the golden opulence of the royal estate. But the palace is a viper’s nest of intrigue, and Aren is surrounded by enemies who want him dead before he can reach the throne. To survive, he needs a shield. He needs a distraction.
He needs a wife.
He offers Rana a devil’s bargain: Play the role of his princess for a few months, and her future will be secured in gold. It was supposed to be a charade—a marriage of paper and ink. But as the lines between their pretense and reality begin to blur, Rana finds herself falling for the man behind the cold, royal mask.
Yet, in the brutal game of power, love is a liability. Aren is a prince who has risked everything for the crown, and when his enemies close in, he must make a heart-shattering choice.
He promised her safety. He gave her his ring. But to win his kingdom, he is about to hand the woman he loves to the very people who want her dead.
