Once upon a time a little boy gave a little girl a special valentine. 

But she rejected him because he was the weird kid. I was that little girl, and I shouldn’t still be paying for that rejection, but I am. 

As time went on his fixation with me only grew stronger. He was always there in the shadows.

Always watching.

Always waiting. 

And now he’s the powerful head of a crime syndicate. My father says I must marry him to save our family from destruction.

When we were children Aidan said he would marry me someday, but I knew he couldn’t if I said no. I was very wrong about that. 

My life as I know it is over, but my captivity to this ruthless man has just begun.

WARNING: This is a dark Beauty and the Beast retelling with a heroine who has boundaries, trauma, and every reason not to fall headfirst for the morally gray man obsessed with her. Like Belle, she won’t be instantly soft, forgiving, or submissive — the Beast must earn her trust and atone for the harm he’s caused. If you want an easy, instant-love romance with a heroine who must be immediately “understanding of her captor” to be likeable, this isn’t your book.

Note: This is a standalone dark contemporary romance with forced marriage and mafia elements and a guaranteed HEA